Research

Investigating health effects in a community surrounding a road tunnel stack – a cross sectional study

Adam Capon¹ , Vicky Sheppeard¹ , Katie Irvine² , Bin Jalaludin³ , Michael Staff¹ , Guy Marks⁴ and Alan Willmore⁵

¹Environmental Health Branch, New South Wales Health Department, Australia

²NSW Biostatistical Officer Training Program, New South Wales Health Department, Australia

³Centre for Research, Evidence Management and Surveillance, Sydney South West Area Health Service, Australia and School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, Australia

⁴Woolcock Institute Medical Research, Sydney, Australia

⁵Centre for Epidemiology and Research, New South Wales Health Department, Australia

author email corresponding author email

Environmental Health 2008, 7:46doi:10.1186/1476-069X-7-46

Published:	26 September 2008

Abstract

Background

Extended tunnelled roadways requiring ventilation via exhaust stacks are an increasingly common solution to traffic congestion around the world. In response to community concerns about adverse health effects associated with emissions from a new road tunnel exhaust stack, despite no demonstrable change in local ambient air quality, we conducted a cross sectional study to test for an association between exposure to the exhaust stack emissions and the presence of eye, nose and throat symptoms.

Methods

Stack emissions were modelled and categorised into areas of high, medium and low levels of exposure to emissions. A telephone interview survey was conducted in these three zones. Multivariate analysis was undertaken using Cox Proportional Hazards modelling to estimate prevalence ratios between zones for eye, nose and throat symptoms.

Results

The prevalence of eye, nose and throat symptoms in the study area were 50 percent, 67 percent and 33 percent respectively and did not differ between the exposure zones. The presence of these symptoms was associated with a measure of reported "environmental worry".

Conclusion

The study did not demonstrate a community wide health impact associated with modelled emissions but is unable to exclude the possibility of sensitive individuals being adversely affected.