by: Capri Figueroa
According to Forbes.com , New York City is one of the most toxic towns in the U.S. Should we be surprised? “The website ranked the 80 largest metro areas, with New York coming in fourth. Philadelphia, which is considered to have the worst water quality, was at the top of the toxic heap, followed by California cities Bakersfield and Fresno”, wrote amNY. The popular travel guide also tested for air quality, toxic release measures and homes of dangerous wastes. In 2010, the Environmental Protection Agency labeled the less than 2 mile Gowanus Creek Canal in Brooklyn toxic “after finding pesticides and other cancer-causing chemicals”. The city is already planning to clean it up. The Environmental Working Group discovered the water quality is so bad, drinking it can cause serious health problems. Forbes.com noted “high levels of toxicity do not necessarily mean increased health risks. “It’s very difficult to actually measure levels of exposure,” said Morgan Brennan, of the website.”
