User:Rkelton906/Long Island

Clear and Measurable Goals


 * 1) Add more information relating to the effects of pollution. Human health, ecosystem health, and efforts to improve the pollution would all be under "Effects of pollution"
 * 2) Improve or change source 1 to something more reliable and related to my topic
 * 3) Add Citations

Long Island is a region defined by heavy urban and suburban development and because of this, it is often a site of contamination and pollution in many different forms. My original goal for editing the page was to a section designated "Pollution on Long Island" and then add subsections for each of the major types of pollution on the Island. My plan still is to focus on the pollution on Long Island but as I was going through the article I noticed some sections in the "Early History" section were in need of more reliable sources. I researched and found credible sources to support and correct information regarding the Native Americans who inhabited the island before the European settlers began to arrive.

Source 1: "The Thirteen Tribes of Long Island: The History of a Myth: John Strong

Source 1 (Revised) : "Ecological and toxicological effects of inorganic nitrogen pollution in aquatic ecosystems: A global assessment"
 * The paper attempts to correct the common misconception about the thirteen tribes of Long Island. The history of these Native Americans is often inaccurately represented as a system of organized tribes while Strong describes them as "many independent communities". It was only after the European arrival that the Native Americans were organized into defined tribes.
 * The early history section of the Long Island page is filled with broad assumptions and incorrect information relating to the history of Native Americans on Long Island and I intend to use this article to represent a more accurate history of the Island.


 * This paper is an overview of the effects of nitrogen pollution on humans and animals. It gives lists of types of nitrogen pollution and adverse health effects that are known to be caused by the pollution.
 * This paper will be helpful to describe the negative human heath effects caused by nitrogen pollution. It will also give me insight into the effects of nitrogen pollution on local ecosystems.

Source 2: Analysis of major air pollutants and submicron particles in New York City and Long Island: M. Masiol, P.K Hopke


 * This paper describes research done on Long Island to detect air pollution and how weather, climate, time of day, season can affect the pollution levels. 15 different pollutants were tested for including, NO, NO2, NOx, SO2, O3, CO, CH4, NMHCs, THC, PM2.5, SO42−, OC, EC, TC and SMP.
 * One of the subsections on the pollution section I'm adding is going to be about air pollution. I can use this paper along with others to describe the type and severity of air pollution.

Source 3: Simulation of Zones of Groundwater Contribution to Wells South of the Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant in Bethpage, New York:Paul E. Misut


 * This paper describes models made in an effort to track where VOC water contamination has gone since being introduced to the groundwater. It describes the different porosities under the ground around the areas of contamination and using this it predicts how far the water has been able to move.
 * I plan to use this article as a backbone to describe the scope and scale of this issue. It identifies some specific pollutants and areas of contamination that I think would be helpful to add to the water pollution section.

Source 4: Nitrogen pollution in the northeastern United States: sources, effects, and management options: Charles T. Driscoll, David Whitall


 * This paper describes the sources and effects of nitrogen pollution on bodys of water around the northeast. It describes what kind of actions produce lots of nitrogen pollution and describes methods in order to curb that release\


 * I plan to use this paper to support the water pollution section of my article. I would like to give more specific examples than just the "northeast" but I still wanted to use this article to get a general understanding of nitrogen pollution in the region. I plan to give more specific Island focused examples in the article.

Source 5 Synthetic Fibers as Indicators of Municipal Sewage Sludge, Sludge Products, and Sewage Treatment Plant Effluents


 * This paper describes these synthetic fibers as indicators of dumping of effluent into bodys of water. The research was done on long island and describes the effect that effluent can have on water quality.
 * I plan to use this paper to support my water pollution section. I have read and watched videos surrounding sewage pollution on long island but I wanted to get a peer-reviewed article that can also describe the type of pollution people commonly deal with on the island.

Environmental Degradation On Long Island
Long Island is a region effected by environmental degradation resulting from urban and suburban expansion kicked off at the start of the 20th century. With Long Island Sound to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the south and east, Long Island is home to a diverse range of habitats including salt marshes, coastal grasslands, beaches, rocky intertidal zones, tidal flats, pine barrens, estuaries, deciduous forests and many more. Each of these habitats faces unique challenges in terms of environmental degradation but a few common issues can be found in each of them.

One of the most common forms of environmental degradation is eutrophication of lakes and ponds due nutrient pollution. Nearly all of the bodies of water on Long Island have been effected by nutrient pollution in the form of nitrogen and phosphorus. Fertilizer containing high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus are washed away into nearby surface water, which speeds up the process of eutrophication. Common signs of eutrophication include murky green water and foul odor. Nutrient pollution is also responsible for Harmful Algal Blooms which depending on the type can be toxic to aquatic organisms as well as birds and mammals including humans.

Chemical Pollution is a common occurrence on Long Island with it being home to 38 Superfund sites both closed and active. The four counties of Long Island each have had instances of chemical pollution but Nassau County has the most out of the group with 18 superfund sites. Most famously from 1942-1996 Northrop Grumman and the United States Navy owned 600 acres where they manufactured military aircraft. Disposal practices of both parties resulted in a plume of VOCs or volatile organic compounds that contaminated groundwater in an area extending 4.3 miles north and south and 2.1 miles east and west. Restoration efforts have been on going since 2019 but concern over water quality still remains. Chemical Pollution on Long Island often follows a similar pattern of negligence when dealing with hazardous chemicals that leads to leaks into groundwater and soil. Long Island drinking water is sourced from a large aquifer which is at risk of contamination if chemical pollution continues.

Long Island is one of the most developed areas in the United States with a large majority of the high intensity development located closer to New York City and lower intensity development as you move east across the island. High intensity development makes up 10% of the land cover on Long Island, medium intensity development makes up 17%, low intensity development makes up 17% and developed open spaces account for 19% making the total percent of developed land around 63%. Most of the undeveloped land is found in Suffolk County which is made up of 46% undeveloped land. This level of development means most of the habitats originally located on Long Island have been destroyed or segmented by housing developments or roads. Tidal wetlands are often the victims of the most habitat destruction due development of highly sought after coastal land. Studies have shown that New York has lost almost half of its tidal wetlands along the Long Island Sound. These tidal wetlands act as a natural barrier from flooding, so as they are destroyed and developed the chances of damages due to flooding increase.

Climate change will effect Long Islanders in a number of ways in the future. It is estimated that at current rates by the year 2100 water levels will rise about four feet causing the relocation and destruction of neighborhoods along the coast of the island. As well as rising water levels Long Islanders will have to deal with the effects of ever stronger hurricane seasons, and more catastrophic storms like Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Rising temperatures will also exacerbate the algal bloom problems, as algae tends to thrive in warmer waters. Restoration of coast lines and marsh habitats may provided some protection against flooding from large storms, but Long Island is largely unprepared for the increasing intensity of storms in the years to come.