Alviso Environmental Analysis
This project is to implement the delivery of critical environmental education, community leadership experience, and accessible monitoring data creation for Santa Clara County youth, particularly from Alviso.
About our Project
Our primary project goal is to deliver critical environmental education and community leadership experience to Santa Clara County youth, with a focus on youth from Alviso. We’ll do this through a community-driven environmental impact project which will create and provide accessible monitoring data for the Alviso community. Alviso residents will have live user-friendly data to potential threats of air, water, soil, noise, and waste pollution, enhancing their ability to prevent and prepare for emergencies.
Alivso Water History
Mercury in the water is found all around San Francisco Bay. The problem started by the early 1800s during the Gold Rush. Mines of mercury throughout the Coastal Ranges were used in Sierra Nevada to extract gold. Meanwhile, mercury that left unattended drifted into the Central Valley’s rivers which carried the mercury to San Francisco waters. Methyl Mercury is toxic pollution affecting the air and water in the bay area. The methyl mercury effects the environment when marine life such as plants, small organisms, including fish, absorb these toxic minerals. This substance has affected most of San Francisco Bay and Alviso is one of the most contaminated waterways due to the mercury. Researchers have studied that these toxins are eaten by fishes in the bay which get into human food causing health issues. Therefore, over the years, they have spread the awareness around the bay area to restrict consuming the fish from these contaminated waters.
