SAN DIEGO (KGTV)— ABC 10News continues to look into the sewage crisis and stench from the Tijuana River Valley, affecting thousands in the South Bay.
On Wednesday, reporter Madison Weil interviewed Dr. Vi Nguyen, a South Bay pediatrician and environmental advocate.
“The kids are more sick in the South Bay. Why? It’s probably multifactorial, but yes, I see it. I see the trends, I have the numbers,” said Nguyen.
Nguyen works at a Kaiser Permanente clinic in Otay Mesa and helps care for about 2,000 children in the area.
“I definitely see kids coming in with migraines, kids who have never had headaches before,” she said.
In the last 15 years, Dr. Nguyen says she has seen higher rates of asthma in kids in the South Bay in comparison with other parts of San Diego County — among other health concerns.
“I have a lot of kids with bacterial pneumonia, to the point where we’re on the third round of antibiotics. I had a couple kids end up at Rady’s with chest tubes in. It just seems odd because it's the middle of the summer. There’s definitely a correlation for me just knowing what’s been happening,” she said.
Within the last week, ABC 10News has followed research teams from UC San Diegoand SDSU as they’ve been monitoring levels of hydrogen sulfide, a toxin commonly found in sewage, and other gases in the area. On Tuesday, 10News reported on an SDSU professor who got sickwhile collecting samples.
“For me I worry about the babies, the babies being born now, and what the developmental effects might be,” she said.
Last week, 10News asked state and federal agencies about current hydrogen sulfide levels. In a statement, the California Department of Public Health said the measurements “do not threaten public health and safety,” although acknowledged current levels could still cause symptoms for some. In a separate statement, the EPA said in part, “there is no immediate risk to public health.”
At last Thursday's meeting, Nguyen took her concerns to the San Diego Air Pollution Control District Board.
In that meeting, the board approved funding for additional air purifiers for families, which Nguyen highly recommends for those living in the South Bay. But added: purifiers represent only a temporary solution to a problem that needs addressing at its root.
"My hope is that this awareness brings more resources to these families," said Dr. Nguyen.
