18. Health and Safety
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18. Health and Safety Northern Link Phase 2 – Detailed Feasibility Study CHAPTER 18 HEALTH AND SAFETY September 2008 Contents 18. Health Risk and Safety 18-1 18.1 Potential Public Health Impacts of Northern Link 18-1 18.2 Health Assessment of Air Quality Changes 18-1 18.2.1 Health Risks from Regional Air Quality Changes due to the Project 18-1 18.3 Health Risk from Ventilation Outlet Emissions 18-4 18.3.1 Eastern Ventilation Outlet 18-5 18.3.2 Western Ventilation Outlet 18-6 18.4 Health Risk Assessment for Roadside Air Pollution 18-7 18.5 Sensitive places 18-8 18.5.1 Conclusions and Mitigation Measures 18-8 18.6 Health Risks from Construction Noise and Vibration 18-9 18.6.1 Noise 18-9 18.6.2 Vibration 18-10 18.7 Health Risks in Operation 18-11 18.7.1 Noise 18-11 18.7.2 Vibration 18-11 PAGE i 18. Health Risk and Safety This chapter addresses Part B Section 5.13 of the Terms of Reference detailing the impacts of the project on public health. Potential air quality, noise and vibration impacts on human health are based on the data and modelling results reported in Chapter 8, Air Quality and Greenhouse Gases and Chapter 9, Noise and Vibration. Other measures or precautions developed as part of the reference project, aimed at the protection of human health, are outlined. 18.1 Potential Public Health Impacts of Northern Link The principal potential public health risks of the Project are associated with the project’s effect on: regional ambient air quality during construction and operation; air quality impacts of the ventilation outlets; air quality along roads associated with the project; increased noise levels during construction; vibration effects during construction; and increased noise levels during operation. 18.2 Health Assessment of Air Quality Changes Estimating the health impacts of the forecast changes in ambient air pollutants was based on an assessment of established peer reviewed publications dealing with the relationships between community health outcomes and changes in air pollutants in Brisbane. Where sufficient information was not available for Brisbane, peer reviewed publications from other Australian or overseas cities were used. 18.2.1 Health Risks from Regional Air Quality Changes due to the Project Based on forecast increases in pollutants for three specific ground level receptors at Bowen Hills, Toowong and Brisbane Grammar School (Table 21 and Table 25 in Technical Report No. 8 - Air Quality Health in Volume 3 of the EIS), CALPUFF modeling has simulated the air quality impacts of the project over an area 20km by 20km. The proposed Northern Link was located approximately in the centre of the modeled area. Bowen Hills and Toowong were selected so that a comparison could be made between model predictions and monitoring data. Brisbane Grammar School was selected as a sensitive place in an area where the regional changes were predicted to be amongst the highest, although still very low. It should be noted that other locations, such as sites close to roadways, are predicted to experience greater changes in air quality than the regional sites. The health effects at these near road locations have also been considered. The net increase or decrease enables an assessment of the health effects on the community as a result of the changes in pollutants associated with Northern Link. In all cases where a net increase is forecast and added to the existing background level of pollutants, the resultant concentration is well below the goal in the Ambient Air Quality NEPM (AAQNEPM) which are designed to protect the community. The AAQNEPM was introduced in 1998 by the National Environment Protection Council (NEPC) and provides the criteria for the national ambient air quality standards for air pollutants to which most Australians are exposed. The AAQNEPM standards were set after consideration of the health effects of these pollutants based on reports prepared by health experts, , the Technical Review Panel of the NEPC and the National Health and Medical Research Council. PAGE 18-1 There is, however, no lower limit below which an adverse health impact would not occur. As such, an incremental increase in a pollutant can have an impact on health, even though it is below the AAQNEPM. For all the pollutants, the worst case maximum forecast increases, as a result of Northern Link, are well below the maximum levels currently recorded in Brisbane. To estimate the size of the health effects from the forecast changes in air pollution, known peer reviewed and published relationship between air pollution and health outcomes were used. The studies and estimates used are provided in Technical Report No. 8 – Air Quality Health in Volume 3 of the EIS. Where more than one health effect estimate was available, the most conservative estimate, that is, the one that gave the largest adverse health impact, was used. The health effects resulting from predicted worst case increases in ambient air pollutants were examined. The pollutants considered were 1, 3 butadiene, benzene, CO, formaldehyde, NO2, PM10, PM2.5, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), toluene and xylene. These pollutants are produced as a result of motor vehicle exhaust and considered to be the major air pollutant of concern for human health. The health effects were modelled for the worst affected sites. Both acute and long term health effects were examined. The acute health effects examined were: mortality and hospital admission; and lung function, symptoms and GP visits. The long term effects considered were: mortality; cancer incidence; and lung function growth in children. For the health effect modelling, the worst case forecast increases in emissions across the three sites are listed below. The timeframes over which these pollutants were modelled represents the timeframes associated with adverse health events and also the AAQNEPM goals. 3 Annual average 1,3 butadiene: 0.0008μg/m 3 Annual average benzene: 0.008μg/m Eight hour carbon monoxide (CO): NIL 3 Annual average formaldehyde: 0.003μg/m 3 One hour maximum nitrogen dioxide (NO2): 2.7 μg/m in 2014 at one site only (decreases elsewhere) 3 3 24 hour PM10 μg/m : 0.1μg/m 3 Annual average PM10: 0.1μg/m 3 3 24 hour PM2.5 μg/m : 0.1μg/m 3 Annual average PM2.5: 0.1μg/m 3 Annual average PAHs: 0.00000005μg/m 3 24 hour toluene: 0.03μg/m 3 Annual average toluene: 0.013μg/m PAGE 18-2 3 24 hour xylene: 0.02μg/m 3 Annual average xylene: 0.0009μg/m . In all cases the forecast increases in ambient air pollutants were small (0.001% to 0.17%), relative to the current air quality goals as shown in Chapter 8, Air Quality and Greenhouse Gases). The results are summarised below. 1, 3 Butadiene Based on the worst case scenario, the highest forecast increase in annual average ambient 1, 3 butadiene was 8 x 10-7 mg/m3 or 0.0008µg/m3. There is currently no AAQNEPM for 1, 3 butadiene. This forecast worst case increase of 0.0008µg/m3 in annual average 1,3-butadiene concentration, if maintained for a 70 year period, would result in an increase in cancer of 0.024 persons per one million people exposed to the forecast most conservative increase in 1,3-butadiene, which is an increase in risk of 0.0000024%. By comparison, in Queensland in 2002 the cumulative rate for all types of cancer by age 70 was 15%. In 2002 the total number of people with cancer aged 70 years and older in Queensland was 46,462 persons and the incidence was 4,778 new cases for 2001-2002. Benzene The forecast worst case increase in ambient benzene is 0.008µg/m3. If sustained over a 70 year period this would be expected to result in approximately 0.064 additional leukaemia cases per one million people exposed over a 70 year period103. Therefore the additional risk of developing leukaemia as a result of 70 years of exposure to the 0.008µg/m3 increase in benzene is 0.0000064%. This is a negligible increase in leukaemia risk. By comparison in Queensland in 2002 the cumulative rate for all types of leukemia by age 70 was 0.35%119. In 2002 the total number of people with leukaemia aged 70 years and older in Queensland was 1,086 persons and the incidence was 173 new cases for 2001-2002119. CO For all sites no increases in eight-hour ambient CO in 2014, 2016, 2021 and 2026 are predicted, therefore no adverse health events are expected at these sites due to changes in ambient CO as a result of Northern Link. Formaldehyde The modeled maximum annual average formaldehyde concentrations of 0.003μg/m3 , is equivalent to 0.3% of the unit risk factor and therefore would be predicted to result in 0.039 additional cancer cases per one million people exposed to this increase over a 70 year period, which is an increase of 0.0000039% . By comparison, in Queensland in 2002 the cumulative rate for all types of cancer by age 70 was 15%. In 2002 the total number of people with cancer aged 70 years and older in Queensland was 46,462 persons and the incidence was 4,778 new cases for 2001-2002. NO2 The worst case maximum increase in regional 1-hour NO2 as a result of Northern Link project is forecast to be 2.7μg/m3. The incremental increase in hospital admissions for cardiovascular diseases, respiratory admissions and asthma are forecast to be 0.007 (=1 in 15,000,000), 0.020 and 0.006 persons per 100,000 population exposed to the maximum increase per day on the days when the maximum increases in NO2 occurs.