I doubt living next to the airport is the ideal location you had in mind for your first, or next, residence. Let’s face it: they’re noisy, they’re an eyesore and, really, the only advantage they bring to the table for those in close proximity is the luxury of having more time to scramble around before catching one’s own flight. A new report, though, says communities surrounding Logan International Airport are more likely to develop lung illnesses than those who live further away.
The report, commissioned by the Massachusetts Department of Health & Human Service’s Bureau of Environmental Health, examined the environmental and health risks of 17 communities either fully or partially within a five-mile radius of Logan Airport. The bureau, along with the Department of Public Health, conducted the study in 2000 and only completed it Wednesday, May 28.
After a slew of polls, surveys and interviews – and what the report calls “A ten-year residential history… in order to provide some measure of each respondent’s length of residency in the area” – the state was finally able to comprise data that , while startling, isn’t really much of a surprise.
Some of the findings include:
- Among children, study results identified some respiratory effects indicative of undiagnosed asthma (i.e., probable asthma); children in the high exposure area were estimated to have three to four times the likelihood of this respiratory outcome compared with children in the low exposure area.
- Among adult residents, individuals diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were statistically significantly more likely to have lived in the high exposure area for three or more years.
Translation: If you live near the airport, you’re much more likely to sustain pollution-related injuries than if you don’t.
Interestingly, the report notes that there’s no correlation between airport residence proximity and cardiovascular disease as well as hearing loss in low-exposed areas when compared to high-exposure areas. Air pollution, it seems, is the worst of your worries.
The good news is that the bureau, DPH, MassPort and other applicable authorities have taken steps, though rather vague, to prevent further contamination.
Teaming up with each other and the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center, the organizations will continue to support reduced vehicular emissions, will request working in tandem with city officials to address further preventative measures, and push educational resources and outreach programs to youths to better educate them on the dangers of air pollution and tobacco-free lifestyles.
According to the Boston Globe, the $1.8 million study took a peculiar 14 years to complete – because it went years on end without adequate funding.
That’s right, for over 14 years, state officials and constituent agencies were unable to provide enough funding for a study that determines that health effects one of the East Coast’s largest, oft-utilized transportation hubs.
“Though this study highlights some serious concerns along with responsible recommendations to alleviate them, by and large it shows that the effects of Logan Airport on the health of East Boston residents are minimal,” said state Rep. Carlo Basile in a statement. “I am concerned that this report shows elevated levels of asthma in children around the airport, but I’m pleased that Massport has taken responsibility and I look forward to working with them to keep our kids healthy. I’m committed to working with Massport and holding them accountable when necessary.”
For more information on the study and its findings, you can read the entire report here.
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