Science and Technology in NYC

A massive oil spill said to surpass the Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska. New York City’s largest wastewater treatment plant. One of the top polluted waterways—What other neighborhood can boast such an impressive track record and history?

On the northern end of Brooklyn lies Greenpoint, a mainly Polish neighborhood that has also begun to feel the effects of gentrification as young “hipsters” spill over from Williamsburg. However, underneath the quiet neighborhood and chic shops lies a legacy of industrial activity and operations that has left the area a string of health and environmental problems.

Greenpoint is home to Newtown Creek, one of the most polluted waterways in the Northeast. Once a green and luscious 4 mile stunner is now stagnant water accumulating gallons of rainwater runoff, domestic sewage and industrial garbage.

Driving over the JJ Byrne Memorial Bridge, the modernized digester “eggs” of the Newtown Creek are unmistakable as well as the mired creek it overlooks. Its surroundings are nothing but a scrap iron yard, construction sites and lots.

The plant processes millions of gallons of residential and commercial waste from East Manhattan, Northern Brooklyn and parts of Western Queens. In 2003, the plant upgraded to the 8 aesthetically pleasing “eggs” that are engineered to process up to 1.5 million gallons of sludge everyday yet have a capacity of about 3 million gallons in the event of flooding. Even with the reputation of this infamous structure, it is quite a vision at night when its professionally designed blue light display illuminates the plant.

Now, imagine living in the neighborhood that overlooks these majestic (and ironic) waste treatment structures. In such a heavily populated city, you’re looking most of the city’s waste just a few skips away from home.

“I’m only around here in the morning and at night but, every once in a while, you catch a whiff of something”, said Hector Melenedz, who works at the Department of Health and Department of Transportation building across the street from the plant.

While the obvious problem that comes up when you have a wastewater plant anywhere is foul odors, let’s look at what other issues arise.

In November 2008, the state Department of Environmental Conservation settled for $27.5 million in fines that were brought against the Newtown Creek sewage treatment plat for a history of violations of federal environmental standards.

For example, the city’s combined sewage overflow system (CSO) is a major contributor to the creek’s pollution as well. The CSO generally collects wastewater from storm runoff and buildings. however when it rains, the system gets overloaded and all this excess sewage spills over into the Creek.

Now, upgrades and expansion plans are in tow to bring everything in compliance with the new law as well as to amend for past mistakes.“There’s a lot of trucks coming in and out…construction for expanding the plant. But we’re talking about a lot more air pollution with all the construction and garbage trucks that are already going to the storage facility”, said Hector Melenedz, who works at the Department of Health and Department of Transportation building across the street from the plant.

Double score….wastewater and waste.

Even though the new plants were supposed to put an end to the awful stenches, courtesy of the sewage system, that doesn’t seem to be the case.

Long time Greenpoint resident and Newtown Creek Wastewater Plant neighbor, John Shareiko, said in an interview, “The odors are definitely there but what’re you going to do about it? Those things aren’t going anywhere.”

Greenpoint residents aren’t the only ones feeling the effect of the sewage plants as Williamsburg locals recently filed complaints on sewers emitting foul odors.

In the September 12^th issue of the Brooklyn Eagle, it was reported that these unmistakable smells were wafting out from the sewers along Graham Ave. The residents’ complaints were never directly addressed until the DEP took cosmetic measures and placed deodorizers to cover the smell.

Yet, how long will these temporary solutions last?

With the biggest facility and largest processing capacity of the 14 wastewater treatment plants in NYC comes great responsibility. Not only is the Newtown Creek plant the source of gag-worthy smells, its also one of Brooklyn’s biggest air polluters, according to the Habitatmap.org data.

The plant releases thousands of pounds of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxides and more. Carbon monoxide poisoning in either low or high levels are toxic if exposed to. Nitrogen oxides, when combined with volatile organic compounds, can potentially cause lung damage while sulfur dioxide can be attributed to respiratory symptoms.

Not surprisingly, asthma, emphysema and bronchitis are 25% higher in this part of Brooklyn than the rest of the city, as reported by Congresswoman Nydia M. Velasquez in a statement to the House of Representatives.

When someone in the Big Apple flushes the toilet, it ends up here. When the lights and glamour of Times Square lights up, the generators here get working.

When garbage is tossed out, trucks carry them to the Department of Sanitation storage right next to the plant.

The allure of the big city doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon as thousands of tourists still flock to the city every year. However, what does this mean for the overburdened neighborhood that houses a polluted waterway and a massive sewage dome? The community has had its fair share of disasters and risks.  The city owes it to this neighborhood to make amends with the issues at hand and find long term solutions. It’s certainly a favor and duty long overdue.

By Sophia Ling

Hammering sounds of noise pollution inflict tourists and residents in the peaceful environment of the South Street Seaport neighborhood on a daily basis. The constant flying overhead of helicopters, the obnoxious wailings of police sirens, the swooshing sounds of highway traffic, the humming engine sounds of trucks and buses, and the loud banging of metal out on the pier are the sources of the obtrusive bedlam in the area.

The South Street Seaport Museum and the New York Water Taxi Company employees express their feelings and concerns of the negative effects of noise pollution on the area through interviews. They mostly acknowledge that the noise is meddlesome, but they feel that no practical, feasible solutions to the problem exist.

“I’ve been here so long,” says Deny Hernandez, a South Street Seaport Museum employee, “that the noise does not bother me anymore. Everything, including the construction, is a part of the city.”

According to Deny, who works as the receptionist at the Walter Lord Gallery on Water Street, “helicopters fly overhead near the pier roughly every five to ten minutes.”

As for the construction work, since the gallery is located further away from the pier, he does not recall how long ago it actually began. “Honestly,” Deny says, “I notice the helicopter sounds more often than I pay attention to the construction noise. However, I would say that construction on the pier takes place more often during the week than on weekends.”

“On another note,” Deny mentions, “I thought that I would suggest that on this side of the neighborhood, which is located in closer proximity to the Financial District, police sirens are more of a nuisance. Almost every five to ten minutes, a police siren penetrates the air – like right now. Additionally, there is excessive car honking.”

Reynaldo Cruz, a college student who attends Lehman College, majors in accounting, and works after five on Friday evenings and full time on Saturdays and Sundays for the water taxi boat company, offers a different perspective on the effects of noise pollution in the area. Whereas previously Deny describes noise pollution in the part of the neighborhood that is located closer to the Financial District, Reynaldo discusses the effects of noise pollution from a different angle: the business aspect, as is witnessed on the pier.

Since he has worked in the ticket booth for quite a while, Reynaldo has become accustomed to the helicopter noise. After broaching the matter of how a helicopter flies overhead every hour or so, Reynaldo says, “Personally neither my colleagues, myself, nor the tourists at the port are affected by the helicopter noise. If anything, the helicopter’s appearance attracts tourists to the businesses in the area.”
Reynaldo is able to provide a time frame for how long construction on Pier 13 has been going on for. According to him, “Construction on the new pier has been in effect since about April.”

Being that he is an employee of the water taxi boat company, and that he is situated in his booth for most of the day, Reynaldo finds the noise bothersome, for it makes communication with his customers extremely difficult. He says, “Personally the noise annoys me and it makes it a bit difficult to communicate with my customers with all the excessive noise in the background.”

Additionally, Reynaldo adds that the construction noise hinders the smooth progression of business. He says, “Customers are annoyed as well when they cannot hear me explain my company’s tours due to the overbearing noise. Construction begins daily at 10 AM and continues on until 3 PM, with the noise being the most persistent at noon.”

When asked if he feels that the FDR drive on top adds to the noise pollution, Reynaldo replies that he does not think it is a problem at all. According to him, traffic almost always runs smoothly – except on rainy days and during rush hours.

Reynaldo does not feel that the highway noise impedes on the historical feel of the neighborhood in any way. According to him, “Quite the opposite is true. The FDR Drive is itself a historical piece, and there is no need to make alterations or regulations to its location or service.”

Neer Abdelrehim is a hot-dog vendor who sets up business under the FDR drive and has worked there for six years. He is personally bothered by the construction noise the most. “To me,” says Neer, “the city is just dragging out the project. I do not know what is taking so long.” “However,” he says, “the construction of a new pier will attract more tourists to the seaport and will boost business sales.”

Joan Thompson, the executive director of the civilian complaint review board, says that noise pollution in the area accounts for most of the complaints that residents/ businesses in that area file online. “As of right now,” she says, “regarding the construction noise in the South Street Seaport neighborhood, the most that the City can do is mandate that most of the construction be done on weekends.” According to her, “Another solution would be to speed up the construction project so that it gets completed faster.”

Noise pollution will be a never-ending problem in the South Street Seaport neighborhood. If the city were to successfully alleviate the amount of construction noise that is currently going on, there would also be the helicopter noise. Being that there are a few heliports in the city, it would be difficult to prevent helicopters from taking off and landing.

Exposure to pest allergens from cockroaches, termites, dust mites, and rodents can cause serious allergic and asthmatic reactions. In Washington Heights in NYC, children are particularly susceptible. Exposure to these allergens at a young age — even in the womb — can increase the babies’ and children’s risk of developing asthma, respiratory problems such as wheezing and coughing, hay fever, eczema, and allergies.

In today’s world, most people spend more than 90% of their lives indoors. Over the past few decades, the home environment has changed enormously with the introduction of soft furnishings, fitted carpets, and central heating systems. Indoor ventilation has decreased—the rate at which indoor air is exchanged for fresh air is now 10 times lower than it was 30 years ago, with a considerable increase in both humidity and in concentrations of indoor pollutants and airborne allergens.

Dr. Frederica P. Perera, Director of Columbia Center for children’s Environmental Health and her colleagues have been monitoring pregnant women and following the children of those women for eleven years. According to Dr. Perera, “The results are consistent with studies done in NYC, Poland, and China.” In NYC, they have closely monitored 249 children of nonsmoking black or Dominican women. Exposure to house allergens led to “low birth weight, asthma, deficits in lung function, neurodevelopmental disorders, and even a higher risk of cancer.”

Pests carry pathogenic organisms that get transferred to food and surfaces through waste products and bits of shed skin. When pregnant women get exposed to these pathogens, it then transfers to the unborn child. The pathogenic organisms cause an increased risk of allergic sensitization that leads to asthma and other respiratory illness in both mothers and their children.

Although people have been trying to battle the pest problem using certain pesticides, it turns out that the people exposed to those pesticides are no better off. Exposure to household pesticides such as chlorpyrifos and diazinon are the root cause of many health problems not only in adults, but children as well. The common trade name for these pesticides is Dursban and Lorsban. These pesticides transfer easily from the mother to her fetus and can reduce birth weight by an average of 6.6 ounces – equivalent to the weight reduction of babies born to women who smoke.

According to a study done by Dr. Rauh of the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health, children prenatally exposed to high levels of chlorpyrifos were significantly more likely than children exposed to low levels to experience delay in both psychomotor and cognitive development, and to show symptoms of attention disorders, ADHD, and pervasive personality disorder at age 3.

Although the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) banned residential use of chlorpyrifos in 2001, this pesticide is still widely used in agriculture. Pyrethroid insecticides are replacing insecticides like chlorpyrifos and diazinon for residential pest control. Specifically, levels of permethrin, a common insecticide, and piperonyl butoxide have increased in personal air samples collected from the women’s households during pregnancy. Following the 2001 EPA restrictions, reporting of cockroaches in the home and use of spray pesticides during pregnancy have increased. A possible explanation may be that pests are becoming resistant to the pyrethroids.

Over half the babies in the study have been born with an immune response to cockroach proteins that may increase the risk of asthma in certain children. Pest infestation, allergen levels, and pesticide use are higher among women and babies living in the most deteriorated housing. And according to Steve Simon – chairman for the Health & Environment Committee of Community Board 12M in Washington Heights, “many of the apartments are deteriorating and a lot of people live in these conditions. Pests thrive in rotting, dirty environments.”

Unfortunately, many of the Washington Heights and Inwood residents live in areas that are very poor and places that children should not be exposed to. According to the NYC Department of Mental Health & Hygiene, in Inwood and Washington Heights, the percent of residents living below the poverty level is higher than in Manhattan and NYC overall. The number of people who have health insurance, and who visit doctors regularly is also significantly lower. Many simply cannot afford it. And sadly, children fall victims to the environment they are born into.

Maybe we should all do something before all residents of NYC fall victims to these pest problems. Like start taking better care of children and pregnant women. Or maybe our landlords should fix the apartments before renting them out. Regardless of what we do, something needs to be done. Pests should not be a leading cause of disease, and children should not suffer the consequences of our misdoings.

On the outskirts of Staten Island, the least known borough of New York City is the location of the world’s former largest landfill. Fresh Kills Landfill is situated on the western shore of Staten Island, along the Arthur Kill.

The area includes the Isle of Meadows, an unpopulated island and Fresh Kills Estuary, a body of fresh and salt water that is formed when a large river meets the sea. Before it was turned into a landfill Fresh Kills composed of a vast tidal wetland with several fresh and salt water springs.

1948 was the first year that Fresh Kills began operating as a landfill. 1,200 acres of the areas 2,200 acres were used for depositing waste. The massive size of Fresh Kills takes up 11 percent of Staten Island and makes it over twice as large as Central Park.

Fresh Kills closed its landfill operations in 2001, fifty-three years after its first use – all of Staten Island rejoiced. The area of horrid smells and heaps of disgusting garbage would finally close, this brought excitement to the residents of Staten Island to whom the largest landfill was nothing but an inconvenience.

September 11, 2001 would change all the plans of having Fresh Kills Landfill be something in the past. The terrorist attacks on New York City on that early September day would end in masses of rubble, debris, and human remains. The city needed to remove the materials and found Fresh Kills as the most logical choice. Thus, Fresh Kills once again became the site of depositing waste.

Over a million tons of remnants from Ground Zero, the area of the former World Trade Center can be found in Fresh Kills. The ash, dust, and debris made their way to Fresh Kills Landfill directly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

These materials from the lower Manhattan site were disposed and sorted by city government employees. New York City firefighters, police officers, and workers from the Department of Sanitation sorted through the countless human remains, masses of steel from the World Trade Center buildings, and other debris and ash.

A great amount of these materials is hazardous to the environment and has proven hazardous to the health of the volunteers and government employees who helped in transporting the materials and later in sifting through them.

Over 800 people have died at the World Trade Center and Fresh Kills sites because of the perilous debris and materials. Hundreds toiled at Fresh Kills and many of them acquired cancer from sorting through the rubble. These cancers included cancers of the digestive organs, lung and throat cancer, and cancers of the blood.

A study by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene shows that those who were exposed to the Ground Zero rubble and debris were more likely to develop asthma, an inflammatory disorder of the airways. In fact, twelve times as many workers and volunteers developed asthma than is on average expected for the adult population.

The firefighters, police officers, construction workers, and volunteers developed this disorder simply because they breathed in the hazardous ash and debris found in sites that contain 9/11 rubble.

Other findings based on medical exams show that close to seventy percent of 9/11 responders had worsened or newly developed lung problems after the World Trade Center attacks. Sixty-one percent of workers developed lung problems while working on the toxic materials.

These reports all show that the materials taken to Fresh Kills are also hazardous to health. Many of the workers at the World Trade Center site were also the ones who transported and sorted through the materials at Fresh Kills.

According to decisions made by city government officials, these hazardous materials will remain at Fresh Kills, including the remains of countless victims. Officials cite the difficulty and cost of removing the materials and finding another site to move them to.

In effect, this means that the materials that led to lung problems and cancer risks for the hundreds of government employees and volunteers who worked to clear and sort through the rubble will continue to be present in Fresh Kills, Staten Island.

It is important to note that Fresh Kills was never designed to intake hazardous waste, thus proving that keeping these materials in Fresh Kills is even more dangerous.

The New York City Department of Planning has devised a plan to build a large-scale park and recreation area in place of the landfill at Fresh Kills. This is worrying considering many sections of the landfill are temporarily covered with dirt and much of the garbage at the site will take over 30 years to properly decompose.

Residents dislike the idea of going to a park that was once the site of the world’s largest landfill and contains toxic chemicals and residue that led to severe health problems in government employees who worked at the dump.

Andrey Grebenetsky, a Baruch College student who has lived on Staten Island for most of his life expressed his dislike for the future park: “I wouldn’t even toss a football in that park. A park built on a toxic dump? You’ve got to be kidding me.”

It seems that there is no win-win situation for Fresh Kills but building a park on a site that is filled with hazardous materials from one of the largest terrorist attacks in the world does not seem like the best idea.

Asthma, an inflammatory lung disease, has hit the poor rural neighborhoods of New York City harshly in the past few years.  Roughly one fourth of the children in Harlem are affected by the disease, in which narrowed airways in the lungs evoke attacks of breathlessness and wheezing.

Due to the multi-factorial nature of asthma, scientists have been unable to find a cure and proper treatments.  Triggers such as mold, dust, pollen, and diesel fumes, along with obesity, smoking, and little medical access, all contribute to the fact that Harlem’s childhood asthma rates are amongst the highest in the nation.

“It is impossible to completely abolish all of the causes of asthma,” said Dr. George D. Thurston, a professor of environmental medicine at New York University.  “However, we, as citizens of New York City, must work together to control and diminish the tangible causes, such as diesel fumes and other air pollutions.”

Dr. Thurston hosted a Seminar at Brown University on Friday, October 2^nd, on Diesel Air Pollution and Asthma in New York City.  During his time as a researcher at New York University’s Langone Medical Center, he has found evidence indicating that living near to traffic is associated with increased respiratory problems in children.   Exposure to diesel vehicles is the most suspected causal agent in the associations between traffic and asthma.

Six out of the seven bus depots in New York City are located in Harlem.  Buses are the main source of diesel fuel emission.

“To get rid of this issue, we must either use cleaner diesel fuel or bring in hybrids, which burn less fuel,” explained Dr. Thurston, during a brief interview, as he was simultaneously shuffling through his notes for the big upcoming speech.

The problem here is transportation.  The city is surrounded by water; using these waterways for transportation purposes more efficiently would lessen the amount of diesel fuel in the air.  Instead of using buses and cars to transport goods into and out of Manhattan, companies should make use of the vast water ways, and create more water taxis, ferries, and freight ships.

Granted, diesel fume emission is a universal issue that needs to be moderated throughout every busy city.  Moreover, other issues that only affect low-income areas are what causes the asthma rates in places such as Harlem to skyrocket.

Cities scenes, filled with poor maintenance of multi-family housing, grocery stores, and restaurants and difficulties with sanitation and litter cause mice to be a common counterpart of the environment.

“Mice are silent predators for inner-city children.  These pests give off allergens that trigger asthma attacks, and it is just getting worse for those living in old apartment buildings that contain a lot of dust mixed with mouse urine,” said Limas Forte, the Healthy Homes Program Manager at WE ACT for Environmental Justice.

These allergens are what causes the smooth muscle in the lungs to contract during an asthma attack.  Inflammation due to an allergic response causes the blood vessels to widen and the tissues in the airway wall to swell, which as a result, creates difficulties for the child to breath.

Several investigators have seen as association between asthma and sensitization to another common urban pest, cockroaches, and high exposure among those sensitized has been reported as a risk for asthma medication use and a number of asthma-related hospitalizations (Ginger, et al).

This study has found that mouse allergen was indeed prevalent in inner-city apartments, and the self reported frequency of mice sightings were high (90% saw mice in their kitchen).  Surprisingly, however, high levels of mouse allergens were also present in homes where parents never saw mice.  This goes to show that even if the rodents are unseen they are still around and can still cause health issues.

Mr. Forte strongly believes that an effective way to treat this problem is by issuing new pesticide control campaigns that involve all areas of Harlem, not just a few towns.  The best way to initiate this campaign is by cleaning the streets so fewer rodents are attracted to the area.  This can only occur with a collective effort by all of the inhabitants of Harlem.

Consequentially, the major issue regarding the high childhood asthma rates in Harlem is the socioeconomic difference.  “The income disparity really comes hand-in-hand with the high rates of asthma,” explained Sally Findley, a professor of Population and Family Health and Clinical Sociomedical Sciences at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University.

“In places such as the upper-east side, we don’t see as many cases of asthma because the people have enough money to take care of it.  In Harlem, however, it is much harder for the community to spend money on getting rid of the probable causes of asthma.  They do not have enough resources.”

As a result, less money is used for cleaning the streets, getting rid of mold, and exterminating insects that contain allergens or diseases.  One way to help solve this issue is by educating the public.

Professor Findley, who developed two child health promotion coalitions in NYC, the Start Right and Asthma Basics for Children coalitions, is using her asthma research to test multilevel interventions (provider, school or center, teacher, parent advocate/peer, community health worker) to stimulate improved asthma management for children.

If more money is allocated to the health industry and for health education in these inner-city neighborhoods, the asthma rate for children is bound to go down.

Looking for justification for Chinatown’s uninsured rates at the crossroads of traditional and western medicine.

There is an undeniable allure to traditional medicine: a mixture of herbs to relieve aches or stress instinctively seem more reliable than the manufactured little white pills, the front-men of a stigmatized industry. There are few places in the city as synonymous with traditional medicine as Chinatown, where surprisingly attitudes towards treatment methods are mixed and the rate of uninsured offers little insight to local preferences.

Currently, 13-17% of Chinatown’s 164,000 people are uninsured, according to the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.  To the observer, a number of reasons for this can come to mind: the undocumented residents don’t have eligibility, young people see it as an unnecessary expense, language barriers prevent recent immigrants from access to information about their options, or that there is a predisposition among a sector of the population towards traditional medicine.

Anyone who’s ever walked along East Broadway – on any day of the week – has probably noticed the brightly-colored health insurance vans, with smiling faces painted on their sides, or tables on the sidewalks, piled with pamphlets of information about insurance plans. Sometimes there’s no one standing by the tables at all, so any questions can be addressed to phone numbers on business cards. In any case, health insurance companies make their services accessible in Chinatown. Yan Zhen Lin, facilitated enroller for healthfirst, the only non-profit health insurance provider for lower-income families explained, “Many people in Chinatown are uninsured because of language barriers: they don’t know the prerequisites, so we are here on the streets to help them.” This aid is not limited to providing them with healthfirst’s coverage, but also helping people fill out Medicare/Medicaid forms.

One of the most important prerequisites for health coverage, however, is American citizenship. Each enrollment station carries a manual describing the sort of documentation required for coverage. According to Run Biao, facilitator for AmeriGroup Community Care, the only sort of coverage extended to undocumented immigrants is for pregnant women and children under the age of 18 (by Child Health Plus). This limitation does not prevent them from receiving any sort of medical care, “The undocumented still go to doctors if they are very sick – not for check-ups. Or they can go to the emergency room and not be turned down.” Apparently, legal status has a very limited effect on what method of treatment Chinatown residents seek. Federal law prevents emergency rooms from turning away patients and high medical fees do not discourage them from getting the emergency care they need. This means that illegal immigrants do not rely solely on traditional remedies found at the local herb shops, and generally receive medical attention when it is necessary.

Another misconception about New York’s Chinatown is that western medicine and traditional medicine are two separate spheres that exist almost independently of one another. Chinese immigrants bring with them a heritage of traditional remedies that from the outsider’s perspective characterize their culture. Yet this mindset is paradoxical when you consider the thousands of licensed medical doctors in the neighborhood. According to Dr. Ng Yat Fai, 63, acupuncturist and herbalist, who was a general practitioner in China; the two schools of medicine are quite interlinked. Many drugs manufactured by large pharmaceutical companies are derived from herbs and doctors sometimes refer patients to alternative treatments. Dr. Ng explained, “Many of my clients are referred to me by doctors from all over the city and hospitals who could not help them with nerve and muscle pains.”

Other than specific referrals, traditional medicine practices are directed at disease prevention, rather than treatment. They provide a buffer for the lack of preventative medical care undocumented immigrants receive. Since doctor visits for the undocumented are generally seen as a last resort, preventative measures, like check ups, are infeasible. Therefore the availability of herbal remedies helps control the development of various diseases. However, even ailments like the flu are seldom treated with herbal remedies in Chinatown, especially with the presence of low-cost over-the-counter medicines like Tylenol. Instead, the presence of commercialized stress-relief acupuncture clinics inflates the sense of traditionalist practices in the neighborhood.

Chinatown’s health care culture is obscured by vast cultural differences and long-standing stereotypes. While the Chinese have had a history of practicing herbal treatments, even the more elderly, traditionalists do not hesitate seeking licensed medical help when needed. At the Mannings Pharmacy Corp. in Chinatown’s Elizabeth Center, geriatric patients bring prescriptions for universal ailments like high blood pressure, diabetes and hypertension. In an interview regarding local medical practices, Linda Yee, Pharmacy Intern, explained, “We don’t carry or recommend herbals because all of their properties and effects on the human organ systems are not known and they are not FDA approved. I think that the popularity of herbal remedies has been affected by marketing, because in the past their demand was not very high.”

Contrary to popular belief, the presence of Asian medicine does little to alter the neighborhood’s reliance on modern medicine. Instead, the two complement one another on a case-by-case basis, leaving treatment options for those with limited finances or lack of health insurance.

Newtown Creek has one of the dirtiest bodies of water in New York City. Extending approximately 3 miles of waterway, Newtown Creek borders between Hunters Point of Long Island City and the historical industrial area of Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Once the center of the industrial development in New York City during the late 19^th century, it is heavily contaminated from decades of illegal dumping and accidental oil spillages. The water quality of Newtown creek is worsened when the combined sewage overflow system (CSOS) began to dump overloaded raw sewage from the city into the creek. Subsequently, the severe water contamination in the Newtown Creek has become a health concern for the residents, workers, and visitors along the creek and endangers the survival of fish species in the creek. (more…)

St. Mark’s Place. A tiny portion of the East Village running from Astor Place to 1^st avenue is famous for it’s restaurants, shops, and bars. Hundreds of visitors walk through St. Mark’s daily, and on the weekends, the influx of people increase ten-fold.  So why are storeowners and visitors complaining? Take a whiff of the air, and you’ll smell why.

“You definitely know when it’s almost time for garbage day,” says Brittaney Mines, a barista at Café Mocha on 116 2^nd avenue as she gestures towards the garbage bags piled on the corner.  The East Village and its residents are no strangers to the horrible stench that has become a part of the East Village’s identity. The stench is only a partial component of the greater problem. The mountains of trash piled along sidewalks and curbs are the other.

The New York City Department of Sanitation suffered greatly from the 44.8 million dollar budget cut imposed by Mayor Bloomberg in 2008. One of the major components of Bloomberg’s budget cuts was to cut Sunday trash pickup by 50%. Even further, instead of 150 trucks making pickups, only 50 trucks were slated to make the rounds.

Trash collection in the East Village occurs just three times a week on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. This is not nearly enough to compensate for the tremendous amounts of trash that accumulates over the week from over 500 restaurants and even more residential housing. “There is too much garbage and too little collection,” Minnes says of the trash.

The large amounts of garbage have a negative effect on business, says Habib, the manager of a tattoo and piercing shop on St. Mark’s and 3^rd avenue. The streets of the East Village are very narrow, barely large enough for two people to walk hand in hand. With the addition of garbage bags, bins, and boxes, the amount of space for walking decreases even further. “People are always falling on the garbage,” says Habib, who points out the trash along the street. Habib also mentions that when the weather turns gray, as it usually does in New York City, the trash situation grows deeper. “Wind blows garbage everywhere, and when it rains, the trash runs all along the streets,” Habib continues. “It smells really bad here.” However, the problems described by Habib are not the least of the worries by the storeowners. An underlying problem much more dangerous than the loss of customers hides underneath the trash and stench, literally. “There are mice everywhere,” says Habib.

The mice and vermin population increase in those places where trash is more prominent. The East Village has fallen victim to a rat and vermin due to the inefficient garbage collection plans by the city. “Mice and vermin are a huge problem around here,” Allen Maikels, an FDNY paramedic stationed in the East Village says. “Disease carried by vermin and mice such as salmonella and dysentery are highly likely to occur here,” Maikels continues.  “The garbage situation is one that the city needs to re-evaluate before people start getting sick. That, and the stink is almost unbearable sometimes.”

An overabundance of trash is the key factor in an infestation of vermin such as cockroaches, rats, and flies. Salmonella and dysentery cited by Maikels are but a few problems that can be caused. Others are the fleas carried by the mice. These fleas can transmit typhus, bacterial fever, and Hantavirus. Though the viruses and diseases described are extreme, the fear and possibility of spreading is present.

With an irresponsible city government unaware of the problems caused by trash, it is no surprise then that the community has banded together to minimize the negative effects of the garbage collection plans of the city. “We pile garbage by ourselves so that it doesn’t take up too much room,” Habib reported. Another group, The Village Alliance, has also come together to round up individuals to clean up the streets of the East Village. However, to all of the East Village, the city needs to clean up its act.

Despite the fact that garbage sounds so mundane, so under control, it still has a large impact on our lives, in negative and positive ways.  It is up to every person, as a group and individually, to help keep trash under control and manageable, both for the benefit of our city and for the benefit of the great people who live here, both in the east village and the other unique and important communities that make this great city of ours.

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