by As they continue to deal with the Tijuana River pollution catastrophe, South Bay residents have major concerns about their health, drinking water, and air quality, according to survey results released Tuesday.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry performed the Assessment of Chemical Exposures survey in November, using responses from 2,099 people living close to the border.
97% of respondents expressed concern about the quality of the air, while 96% expressed concern about the condition of the beach water. 86% expressed concerns about the purity of the drinking water, while 94% expressed issues about the quality of the Tijuana River.
Eighty percent of respondents claimed to have changed their lifestyles significantly or somewhat as a result of the sewage and to have avoided the region.
Sixty-seven percent of respondents indicated they don’t think it’s safe to live, work, or visit the area.
Additional results include:
- 70% of the respondents use bottled water for drinking water and only 21% drink tap water.
- 64% reported at least one new or worsening physical symptom they attributed to the sewage crisis in the 30 days before the survey: headaches, runny nose, congestion and coughing were the most common.
- More than 60% of parents answering for children said their child had missed classes due to symptoms they believe are related to the sewage crisis.
- 25% of participants believe their pets ailments to be linked to the sewage crisis. The pets have symptoms like skin, ear or eye issues or respiratory, cardiac or digestive problems.
Otay Mesa West, the Silver Strand, and Coronado were added to the survey’s original scope of Imperial Beach, Nestor, and San Ysidro. 86% of the respondents claimed to live in the area, 31% said they come for leisure, 21% said they work there, and 16% said they go to school. Just under half of the respondents were Hispanic/Latino, and 41% were white.
The findings of the Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response, which was finished last October, are supported by the results of the ACE survey. Additionally, the county clarified that participation in the ACE survey was extended from homes to people.
Both surveys raised concerns about neighborhood safety, drinking water safety, and mental and physical health.
Following receipt of the poll results, the county said that it will prioritize work in five areas:
- Communication share health and resource information in multiple formats including on social media and via community outreach workers.
- Water educate the community about how household drinking water is tested and not sourced from the Tijuana River.
- Mental health promote mental health services and resources.
- Healthcare providers update clinicians on surveillance activities and ongoing projects.
- Pets engage with vets, hospitals and area animal organizations.
High concentrations of harmful gasses, including hydrogen cyanide and hydrogen sulfide, were detected in the Tijuana River Valley in September 2024 by teams from nearby institutions. Even miles from the border, residents could smell the putrid egg.
Although San Diego County crews ultimately concluded there was no immediate health concern, many locals thought the problem had reached a tipping point.
Members of the congressional delegation from San Diego County wrote to the Environmental Protection Agency to report that scientists have found in the last year that bacteria and toxins from the Tijuana River can aerosolize and become airborne, revealing an apparent threat to our communities’ air quality as well as our water ecosystems.
In response to the growing sewage catastrophe in the Tijuana River, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted 3-1 last month to move forward with a recommended action plan. Paloma Aguirre, the mayor of Imperial Beach, was elected to the board on July 1st, bringing her border activism to the county’s decision-making process.
The CDC’s Agency for Toxic compounds and Disease Registry will conduct another public health assessment to look for harmful compounds, health effects, and community issues in the river valley. It should take roughly two years.
According to a county statement, this new public health assessment will examine environmental data from government agencies and researchers, review data on air, surface water, sediment, soil, fish tissue, and odor complaints, identify information gaps and uncertainties where health risks cannot be determined, and provide recommendations to agencies, community members, and others to prevent and minimize harmful exposures.
Get neighborhood news in your inbox. It’s free and enlightening.
Become one of the 20,000+ individuals who receive breaking news alerts and the Times of San Diego in their inbox every day at 8 a.m.
Weekly updates from San Diego communities have also been provided! You acknowledge and agree to the terms by clicking “Sign Up.” Choose from the options below.
