A foul stench in east Christchurch is causing physical and mental health effects, including nausea, headaches, worsening asthma and disturbed sleep, says Canterbury’s medical officer.
The stench, which is very similar to human feces, comes from the Christchurch City Council’s damaged wastewater treatment plant in Bromley.
A devastating fire in November 2021 wiped out much of the plant’s ability to treat sewage, and the ensuing stench has plagued residents for months.
Dr Cheryl Brunton, Canterbury’s medical officer of health, said on Thursday there was evidence showing the community was suffering from physical and mental health effects.
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Although the stench of the Christchurch wastewater treatment plant is challenging residents in the area, Canterbury’s medical officer says it is highly unlikely they will experience any long-term damage.
Brunton said the effect was “very, very consistent” with what is expected from exposure to hydrogen sulfide, one of the gases that causes the stench.
But long-term health problems from the stench were “extremely unlikely,” Brunton said, as hydrogen sulfide did not remain in the body.
She said the health effects will be resolved when the stench is no longer there.
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Work is underway on Christchurch’s fire-damaged wastewater treatment plant, which was spotted here last week.
Most physician practices near the plant have not reported an increase in appointments, Brunton said, but people have reported symptoms when attending for other reasons.
The most commonly reported symptoms were nausea, headache, eye and throat irritation, skin irritation, worsening asthma and sleep disturbance, Brunton said.
“All of this is very much in line with exposure, especially to hydrogen sulphide, at the type of concentrations measured in the council’s monitoring.”
Christchurch City Council
Diggers are working at the burnt out Bromley wastewater treatment plant earlier this month.
The city council conducted air tests near the plant between April 28 and June 8.
A handful of samples have been shown to exceed the 40 parts per billion (ppb) threshold for “annoyance” set by California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment.
For example, on June 1, a 139ppb test result was recorded at Value Plus Meats in Dyers Rd, Bromley. On May 18, a sample recorded 172ppb outside the plant’s Cuthberts Rd gate.
Brunton said some people may be “sensitive” to the effects of the stench.
“They may experience some of these health effects in the future at very low concentrations,” she said.
“We do not know for sure whether it will happen here or not, but it is likely that it will be for at least some people.”
Brunton said the stench also affected people’s mental well-being.
People reported “significant distress, frustration and a sense of powerlessness”, she said.