The Hudson River is 315 miles long and it flows from a quiet pond in the Adirondack Mountains to New York Harbor. Many different plants and animals live in and around the Hudson River. Do you remember learning about the sturgeon or the snapping turtle? Don't forget the black bear and the river otter! Humans rely on the river, too. It plays an important role in many of their work and recreational activities. The river glistens in the sunlight as it flows past large mountains and glorious landscapes. Despite all this beauty, the Hudson River is polluted (dirty and dangerously unclean).

People dump garbage into the river, including old car parts and furniture, scraps of metal, and broken toys. Gross! Boats may spill sewage, oil, or gasoline, causing the water to become toxic (poisonous) and unhealthy for the plants and animals. For many years, factories used the river as a sewer and they pumped large amounts of chemicals and waste products into the water. The companies saved a lot of money, but their actions were costly for the Hudson River ecosystem. Although the government has passed laws against water pollution, some citizens continue to disrespect and abuse the Hudson River.

Some of the worst forms of water pollution are often invisible to the human eye! One example is thermal pollution. Nuclear power plants use river water to cool down their equipment. When the water is released back into the river, it’s quite warm. This change in temperature decreases the amount of oxygen in the water and endangers some members of the Hudson River ecosystem. Also, the warm water attracts certain fish, and they often get stuck in the pipes and screens of the power plants.

Another example of point-source pollution (when the source of the pollution is known) is PCB contamination. PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) are a small,synthetic (man-made) chemical with a BIG name. They were once used by industrial companies to insulate electrical equipment. General Electric (GE), a company whose manufacturing plants were located along the Hudson River (in Fort Edward and Hudson Falls), dumped PCB-filled waste into the water. More than one million pounds of PCBs entered the river! Although this act became illegal thirty years ago, PCBs in the groundwater continue to be discharged into the Hudson.

Scientists warned the companies about the dangers of PCBs, but they continued to expose both their workers and the natural environment to the chemicals. PCBs do not dissolve in water and they’re often absorbed into the fatty tissues of aquatic animals. This chemical harms these creatures, in addition to the other animals and humans who eat them. (For many years, commercial and recreational fishing was banned in the Hudson River.) Scientists have linked PCB exposure to cancer and other health problems in humans.

PCBs have also sunk into the sediment (small rocks, dirt, and sand) at the bottom of the Hudson River. General Electric is responsible for cleaning up this pollution and work has already begun on dredging projects in parts of the upper Hudson. Workers will use heavy equipment (called dredges) to scoop up and remove the contaminated sediment. Check out local newspapers to stay informed about this project!

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