POLLUTANT LEVELS IN NEW YORK BAY or... have you seen luca brazzi?

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POLLUTANT LEVELS IN NEW YORK BAYor...have you
seenluca brazzi?

• Jonathan Kelly
• Freshman Science Project
• Science (H2), Mr. Angus, 2007-2008

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BACKGROUND

• I live in Bay Ridge, near New York Bay. I often
  travel down the shore, where I see many people
  fishing.
• I have often wondered if the fish they caught
  were safe to eat.

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HYPOTHESIS

• My original hypothesis was that the water was
  filthy, and that any fish caught there were
  poisonous, at best.

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New York Harbor
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EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE

• STEP ONE Pick three convenient shore-side
  locations in my area.
• LOCATION A The 69th St. Pier just South of the
  Owls Head Waste
  Treatment Plant in the UPPER BAY.
• LOCATION B Shore Promenade just under the
  Verrazano Bridge at
  101st Street, THE NARROWS.
• LOCATION C The very end of the Promenade at the
  foot of Bay
  Parkway in the LOWER BAY.
• STEP TWO Collect labelled samples at all
  locations.
  Bring them home. Take my measurements. Record
  the results.
• STEP THREE Repeat Step Two.

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Collecting water-samples by Location B I THINK
IT'S STUCK!!!
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FROM PRISTINE TO POLLUTED

• Harpers Weekly, June 30, 1883

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An Oil Spillin Brooklyn ??!!!

• The Largest Spill in US History, Greenpoint
  Brooklyn, 17-30M Gallons

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I wonder whats in there NOW!

• Sewer Construction in Queens, 1938

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What happens to all thatstuff?

• A typical NYC Waste Treatment Plant

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A picture of the real thing

• Owls Head WPCP, Bay RidgeLocation A at top/right

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MEASUREMENT

• Water Test Kit

Each kit tests for Harmful Bacteria Lead
Pesticides Nitrates
Nitrites pH Level Hardness
Chlorine level
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DATA TABLE, both collections
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Graphing the 1st Collection
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Graphing the 2nd Collection
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C ONCLUSIONS

• My conclusions, based on my research and
  measurements, are
• The water quality in New York Bay has greatly
  improved, but not enough for safe consumption.
• Existing facilities are incapable of handling
  current waste levels.
• The harbor water contains harmful bacteria and
  minerals.
• DON'T EAT THOSE FISH!!!

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REFERENCES

• New York Magazine (2007)?
• Harper Weekly Magazine (1883)?
• Newtown Creek Oil Spill Study (2007)?
• Constitutional Law Quarterly 267-335
• The Sewer System (Markowitz 2003)?
• Gotham Gazette (2003)?
• The New York Times (various articles)?
• NYC EPA (official publication)?
• US Army Corps of Engineers-NY District
• Wikipedia (various articles)?

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THE END