What to know
- Presentation Day/Time: Tuesday, April 22, 3:15–4:40 pm
- Presenter: Marisol Valenzuela Lara, PhD, MD, MPH, EIS officer assigned to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Division of Toxicology and Human Health Sciences
What did we do?
- In the past five years, billions of gallons of untreated wastewater from Tijuana, Mexico, flowed into the Tijuana River (TR) Valley in San Diego County (SDC), posing potential environmental and human health risks. The worsening contamination prompted an Assessment of Chemical Exposure (ACE) in collaboration with SDC to inform actions addressing community needs.
What did we find?
- Among the 2,099 participants of the ACE, 47.8% self-identified as Hispanic/Latino, and 64.6% reported symptoms related to the sewage crisis. The most frequent were headache (53.1%), runny nose (46.5%), stuffy nose (45.5%), eye irritation (42.9%), and coughing (42.3%).
- Overall, 21.2% reported contact with beach water during closures, and 9.0% reported direct contact with TR water.
- Participants exposed to contaminated water were more likely to report at least one symptom and to seek medical care.
Why does it matter?
- The ACE investigation identified widespread health concerns related to exposure to TR water and sewage gas, with half of respondents reporting symptoms like headaches and respiratory issues. These findings will inform targeted messaging and outreach efforts to address the specific needs of the different demographic groups affected by the crisis.
***This presentation might have updated data that will be shared at the EIS Conference.
Abstract Category: Environmental Health