MidHudsonNews [dot] com is reporting a new study by scientists at Columbia University has determined that fecal bacteria from sewage is living in greater quantities in near-shore sediments of the Hudson River than in the water itself. The river’s pollution levels are generally monitored from samples of clear water, not sediments, so the findings suggest that people stirring up the bottom while wading, swimming or kayaking may face previously unrecognized health risks, the researchers said. The scientists sampled 11 sites along the river banks in Rockland and Westchester counties and in eastern Queens. In some they found as much as 10 times more fecal bacteria in sediments as in the water. Sites with sandier bottoms tended to have fewer germs, while levels were higher in fine, mucky organic-rich areas. “These organisms originate in the human gut, where it’s organic rich and dark,” said biologist Andrew Juhl. “The water in the river is neither organic rich nor dark, but the sediments on the bottom typically are, and that makes them a better environment for potentially harmful microorganisms.” The Columbia study is one of the first to test that idea in a river estuary, and the first one in this area. Read the full story at MidHudsonNews [dot] com.