Health hazards due to a cross-border bridge

Background

There are many studies in the environmental health and medical literature which demonstrate the health hazards to both children and adults of living close to busy roads. One of these analyses specifically concerns to a cross-border bridge in North America.

The US-Canada Peace Bridge

An epidemiologic analysis of health outcomes of the population in this region showed evidence of adverse health consequences in residents living nearby the border-crossing bridge. Oyana et al (2004) showed clearly that for adult residents living within 500m from the Peace Bridge in the U.S.-Canada border, the odds of having asthma were 4.4 times greater compared with residents living more than 2km away from the bridge. Lwebuga-Mukasa et al (2004) also demonstrated that health care use for asthma was significantly increased as the Peace Bridge’s traffic volume increased, which included a 65% increase in the number of trucks and buses over a ten-year period since its operation.

The authors of the report also stated that the trade corridor has increased prosperity but contributed significantly to air pollution particularly to nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter and this resulted in environmental and health impacts among residents in close proximity to the bridge.

Ambassador Bridge

Another study conducted by the US Environmental Protection Agency on the environmental impacts of the Ambassador Bridge, the busiest international commercial vehicle crossing in North America, showed the potential impacts of increased indoor levels of elemental carbon in surrounding residents due to downwind dispersion of diesel traffic associated with the bridge (Baxter et al 2008). The authors also reported a disproportionate health burden and environmental inequity among these residents living nearby the bridge.

What are the important implications for Hong Kong?

How much can we learn from the overseas experience when we look at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HZMB)? Significant harm to public health especially among those living nearby the HZMB can be expected if we are not able to provide sufficient mitigation and enforcement of controls. This could or should include controls on certain vehicle specifications and types of fuel, with adequate monitoring, enforcement and heavy fines for violations.

Edited by AJH

References:

Oyana TJ, Rogerson P, Lwebuga-Mukasa JS. Geographic clustering of adult asthma hospitalization and residential exposure to pollution at a United States-Canada Border Crossing. American Journal of Public Health. 2004;94:1250-1257.

Lwebuga-Mukasa JS, Oyana T, Thenappan A, Ayirookuzhi SJ. Association between traffic volume and health care use for asthma among residents at a U.S.-Canadian border crossing point. Journal of Asthma. 2004;41:289-304.

Baxter LJ, Barzyk TM, Vette AF, Croghan C, Williams RW. Contributions of diesel truck emissions to indoor elemental carbon concentrations in homes in proximity to Ambassador Bridge. Atmospheric Environment. 2008;42:9080-9086.