This is part four of nine in the Paving Paradise series. To read the full article click here.

Beyond the visible issues of tractor trailer traffic, the 18 wheelers contribute additional harm to community members, notably air, noise, and light pollution. Locals have always been accustomed to their homes shaking from the rumble of daily ordinance testing at APG, but they weren’t ready for the noise pollution caused by the trucks. For instance, the sound of trailer doors banging open and closed through the night creates chronic sound disturbances. A lifelong Perryman resident was never bothered by routine bomb testing, but “couldn’t handle” the sound of banging doors. Noise pollution over 70 decibels can induce hearing loss and is correlated with poor sleep quality, depression, and increased blood pressure. Data from the US Department of Transportation shows Perryman Road averages 50 to 60 decibels over a 24-hour period. Additionally, many locals cite persistent light pollution as a major nuisance. Distribution centers often operate 24/7 with stadium style lighting. Residents living adjacent to facilities report not being able to sleep, with industrial lighting pouring into their homes and no requirements to dim or reduce illumination. Just like noise pollution, light pollution also affects resident’s sleep quality, and it can lead to chronic fatigue, headaches, anxiety, and stress. Although nuisance from litter, sound, and light from distribution centers has a detrimental effect on residents, the air pollution from constant truck traffic in close proximity to residential areas poses the most significant risk to human health.

Scientific literature has robustly correlated emissions from diesel trucks with a host of health impacts. Combusted diesel fuel releases PM2.5 — particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns that embeds itself into lung tissue, and leads to asthma and other chronic respiratory illnesses. New research shows PM2.5 has the potential to exacerbate and even cause lung cancer. Nitrogen oxides from diesel combustion present additional risks, causing headaches, asthma, wheezing, coughing, and increased hospital visits, particularly for younger and older populations, according to the American Lung Association. Nitrous oxides can also form ozone, a cancer-causing compound. Maryland has made strides in reducing ozone, largely produced by coal burning power plants across the state; however, averages are still above EPA standards and a hotspot directly over Perryman Peninsula persists, likely due to emissions from transit pollution and ambient air patterns. As a consequence, Perryman ranks in the 90th percentile for cancer-causing air pollution when compared to the rest of Maryland, according to EPA’s EJScreen data.

Although increasingly stringent diesel emission standards from the federal government have reduced air pollution, particularly nitrous oxides and greenhouse gases, research from Europe shows that combustion accounts for only an estimated 55% of traffic-related air pollution. Particulates from brake dust are particularly harmful, not only affecting respiratory systems in a similar way to nitrous oxide and PM2.5, but also increasing the prevalence of neurological diseases and weakening the immune system. These fine metallic particles, known as magnetite nanoparticles, are small enough to pass through the blood, hampering white blood cell activity and embedding themselves in the brain, leading to depression, dementia, and even Parkinson's disease. A study from British Columbia found that “for non-Alzheimer's dementia and Parkinson's disease specifically, living near major roads or a highway was associated with 14% and 7% increased risk of both conditions, respectively.” They also noted that close proximity to green space “[mitigated the effect of] air pollution on the neurological disorders.” Evidence is inconclusive on why green space can lessen the effects of air pollution, but the positive effect is clear, whether it be from increased exercise opportunities, cleaner air, or “just the visual aspects of vegetation,” as suggested by the researchers. With the amount of traffic in Perryman and the additional 5,951 parking spaces planned for the Mitchell property (2,178 of which are for tractor trailers), decreased air quality from increased traffic is inevitable, unless mitigation measures are implemented.

To see the next section in the Paving Paradise series, Infinitely Impervious click here.