County Seeks Researchers for $250,000 Health Study on Tijuana River Valley Pollution
The Board of Supervisors authorized a study to determine whether past exposure to sewage and chemical contamination is linked to higher illness rates in South Bay communities including Imperial Beach and San Ysidro.
San Diego County is expanding its response to the decades-long Tijuana River Valley pollution crisis by soliciting researchers to investigate whether past exposure to contamination is linked to higher rates of illness in nearby communities.
The County has issued a request for quotes through its BuyNet procurement portal, with available funding ranging from $200,000 to $250,000. Questions from prospective researchers are due by 5 p.m. Thursday and quotes must be submitted by Oct. 30.
The study may analyze de-identified hospital discharge data, cancer registry records, mortality data, and Census information to compare health outcomes across areas with different exposure levels. The goal is to determine whether certain illnesses appear more frequently in communities closest to the pollution, including Imperial Beach, Nestor, and San Ysidro.
The work will also examine how environmental burdens overlap with social vulnerabilities in communities designated as Environmental Justice areas, using trauma-informed, community-centered approaches to reflect residents' lived experiences.
For decades, untreated sewage, industrial waste, and other contaminants have flowed north from Mexico through the Tijuana River, prompting the County to declare a local emergency in 2023.
The health study builds on the County's broader response to the crisis, including a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CASPER survey representing more than 41,000 households. Results from that survey are expected to be released publicly by the end of the year.
Earlier this year, the County entered into a separate nearly $250,000 contract with UC San Diego for an Exposure Characterization Study that will identify, measure, and model key harmful chemicals in the air that may affect public health as part of the County's Tijuana River Valley Chemical Pollution Impact Investigation.
Researchers can review the full request for quotes on the County's BuyNet online procurement portal.
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