The Marsha Sharp Freeway construction could pose health risks to students on the Texas Tech campus. As the construction project progresses immediately to the north of Tech's campus, dust and emissions from the construction site could harm students who come into contact with it. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Web site, www.epa.gov, significant levels of small particles, known as particulate matter, can be associated with road-construction sites. These particles pose a health risk because they can pass through the nose and throat and lodge themselves in the lungs, causing lung damage and premature death in people with heart or lung disease. They also can aggravate existing conditions such as asthma and bronchitis. Despite student concerns, one Tech physician said he does not believe there is a large risk for the majority of the Tech community. "The risks involve people with chronic lung problems," said Dr. Kenneth Nugent, a professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at the Health Sciences Center. "It can cause irritative effects." These effects can include shrunken bronchial tubes inside the lungs, which results in shortness of breath and decreased lung functions, he said. Although studies have shown risks associated with dust and emissions, Dr. Rishi Raj, an assistant professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at the Health Sciences Center, said he would hesitate to say there is a definite problem with the Marsha Sharp construction. "While in general, it can be said that particulate matter and pollutants can cause pulmonary irritation and can exacerbate some pulmonary diseases, that is only a general statement," Raj said in an e-mail. "I would be hard pressed to extrapolate any conclusions to the Marsha Sharp construction site without any hard data on air quality before and after the construction." Nugent said the dust particles are unlikely to affect people who do not have pre-existing lung problems. According to the EPA Web site, scientific studies have found an association between exposure to particulate matter and significant health problems including asthma, chronic bronchitis, reduced lung functions, irregular heartbeats and heart attacks. Particulate matter can be divided into two sub-categories: fine particles and inhalable coarse particles, according to the EPA Web site. Fine particles, 2.5 micrometers in diameter or smaller, come from sources including gasoline and diesel engines. Coarse particles, smaller than 10 micrometers, are generally in the form of either natural dust or road dust kicked up by traffic or construction. Nugent said he believes health risks from diesel emissions are similar to the risks from dust. "I think the risks from dust are fairly small," he said. "If you ask me, the largest risk is the traffic. The cars drive by there very quickly, and there's bad lighting at night now for some reason." Will Barnett, assistant area engineer for the Texas Department of Transportation, said his department regularly takes measures to reduce the amount of particulate matter in the air. "Water trucks are our main tools," he said. "We also use an asphalt-water mixture. That and running water trucks are our main methods of dust control." In September 2006, the EPA tightened its national air quality standards. Now, a city's 24-hour fine-particle count cannot exceed 35 micrograms per cubic meter, and its annual-fine particle count cannot be higher than 15 micrograms per cubic meter. The annual regulation serves to prevent health effects caused by days to years of exposure. A city's 24-hour coarse particle count cannot exceed 150 micrograms per cubic meter. The agency revoked an annual coarse particle standard because available evidence does not suggest a link between health risks and long-term exposure to coarse particles. Barnett said the Department of Transportation does not test air quality on a regular basis, although he acknowledged the machinery used in the construction operates on diesel fuel and generally kicks up dust from the site. "I'm not aware of any testing requirements," he said. "We're not required to test. The contractors are required to make sure their equipment is operating in accordance with the law. We operate under a general permit, and there are no specific measures about testing in that."
The tighter EPA standards estimate a reduction of:
- 2,500 premature deaths in people with heart or lung disease
- 2,600 cases of chronic bronchitis
- 5,000 nonfatal heart attacks
- 1,630 hospital admissions for cardiovascular or respiratory symptoms
- 1,200 emergency room visits for asthma
- 7,300 cases of acute bronchitis
- 97,000 cases of upper and lower respiratory symptoms
- 51,000 cases of aggravated asthma
- 350,000 days when people miss work or school
- 2 million days when people must restrict their activities because of particle pollution-related symptoms
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
http://www.epa.gov
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