Environmental Risk Assessment Report for a Building Construction Project

This report evaluates the environmental risks associated with a building construction project in a densely populated area. It covers hazards such as noise pollution, air pollution, pesticides, and soil contamination, and their potential impact on human health.

Environmental Setting
The project area is located approximately 8 kilometres north Of Mackay CBD. The project
area encompasses private residential properties and both single storey homes and town
houses. There is also a day care less than a Km away. Behind the building there is a water
pond that is used for recreational activities such as water skiing. The project is within a
suburbia setting and in a densely populated area.
The project is currently under construction and the environmental investigations were
undertaken over the 6 townhouses land as this area was much large. The study area currently
has no vegetation or dense scrub around it.
Environmental Checklist:
Hazard H
e
al
t
h
I
m
p
a
ct
Insignificant Minor moderate Major Catastrophic
Green house gases
Noise and Vibration
Increased transport
Visual amenity/ poor visual
quality
Surface water and drainage
Psycho-social environment
(exposure to stress
Air quality/ Air
contaminants, fumes, cement
dust,
Pesticides

spills from chemicals applied
during construction
Seepage Rate increased
Contaminated soil from
liquid wastes and pesticides
Hazard Identification:
With every building construction there is some environmental risk related to it. Building
Construction has the health hazards which can cause impacts during construction and can be
permanent health risks if exposure continues. These impacts are such as the adverse human
health due to poor indoor or outdoor air quality, global warming as well as water related
disease.
The building project is an area with high flood risks and on a known swap area thus, the
building will be elevated above previous flood levels. Seepage rate affected and the water
will flow and increase the flood damage in the area. There is a water pond and drainage
behind the construction building and due to this, the area is swampy and this water flow can
lead to the seasonal high tides which can cause floods. This results in Increased probability of
borne diseases, biting midges and mosquito.
During construction, the vehicles transporting building materials to the construction site
contributes to increase in emissions of toxic fumes such as carbon monoxide. Multi storey
buildings accommodate more people in a small area thus increased traffic congestion since
there will be more cars in a small block of area. Air pollution which is caused by the toxic
fumes from the transporting vehicles is also the hazard. These emissions have an
environmental impact to the community and can cause global warming.

Multi storey buildings will deflect sound and amplify it, sound will vibrate and increase noise
pollution. Elevated noise levels within the site from heavy trucks the use of machinery or the
equipment such as bulldozers, generators and concrete mixers, can affect project workers and
the residents can cause noise pollution. Mackay has high temperatures and high humidity
levels this means after the building project is finished there will lots of air conditioners
around the building they will be producing lots of Noises and vibration most part of the area
of the building.
Mackay region has high risk of storms during the storm season from November to March
(Mackay Council). Multi storey building will result in massive building air flow being
diverted deflecting the wind making the wind stronger during storm season.
It is important to have a detailed air flow and dispersion modelling prior to a new building
development that would involve high or tall buildings within an urban environment. Multi
storey building affects pollution dispersion within a local neighbourhood (Aristodemou et al
2018)
Pesticides are used for preventing the building from the insects or are used for termination.
This is can be hazard when inhaled during fumigation.
During construction a significant amount of dust at the construction site and its surrounding is
emitted. The sources of dust emissions includes site preparation transport vehicles delivering
building materials. This emission of large quantities of dust can cause significant health
impacts to the community and construction workers.
Soil contamination is another hazard that can occur from chemical spill or pesticides. It can
cause a health risks to workers and the residents of that building if they inhale, ingest or
absorb them through their skin.
Dose Response Assessment
The residential receptors in the study area were considered in this risk assessment. In this
project the health impacts of the community were investigated in particularly the infants,
children from the nearby good start day care, pregnant, nursing women the vulnerable
population such as elderly, asthmatic people and infants, people suffering from specific
chronic conditions. However, it should also be considered that sensitivity to hazards is maybe
(sensitive) than others on a comparable level of exposure (Cardona et al. 2012). Some
environmental health impacts from exposure can be acute and chronic diseases, genetic
changes, clinical irritation, public nuisance, discomfort and psycho social impacts.
Poor air quality due to fumes, dust emissions such as cement dust can trigger asthma attacks
can cause difficulty in breathing because of decreased lung function. Dust and other air
pollutants can cause nuisance, visibility impacts as well as health impacts. The health impacts
of dust is determined by the concentration, chemical composition and particle size. If the dust
particles are contaminated with chemicals they are absorbed in the blood stream (Department
of Environment and Conservation, 2011). According to World Health Organisation (WHO),
There are numerous scientific studies that have shown how dust emissions or air pollution
exposure can result in eye irritation, increased respiratory symptoms, such as airway
irritation, coughing, trigger asthma and development of chronic bronchitis (World Health
Organisation, 2000). Cement dust contains heavy metals like nickel, cobalt, lead, and
chromium, cement dust exposure can cause lung function impairment and respiratory
symptoms (Enshassi et al., 2014). The mosquito and biting midges can be considered a
nuisance causing stress, discomfort and reducing the quality of life of young families who
would prefer to be outdoor with the kids.

In trying to keep the mosquito populations to acceptable levels the Mackay council
uses the method of aerial paragliding. Therefore, increasing the use of pesticides. Pesticides
are also used for termination or prevention of termites. These pesticides have a healthy
impact on people, they work by affecting the neurological system or reproductive system of
humans. Surface run off can result in water pollution from pesticides into the water pond.
When people get exposed to the water it can cause skin irritation.
Frequent exposure to noise pollution negatively affects health, with a dose-response
relationship for level and duration of exposure (Halperin 2014). Noise and vibration
generated by the construction activities and high traffic can cause high or low sound levels.
High sound levels can cause permanent loss of hearing. Low sound levels can cause
psychological effects such as sleep disturbance, discomfort, irritation and effects on psycho
motor tasks. Thus, if there is continuous noise pollution which affects sleep it can slowly
increase stress and mental health( En Health 2018). Sleep disturbances are associated with
health deterioration.
There are also long term effects from high traffic noise which include high increase incidence
of diabetes, hypertension and stroke among the elderly above 64 years (Halperin 2014 and
Sorensen, 2013). Continuous noise pollution from traffic can be a significant risk factor for
cardiovascular diseases (Babisch ,2014).
Young children below 3 years are mostly to ingest soil whilst playing out doors. Direct
contact or ingestion of contaminated soil particularly children can cause acute harm such as
vomiting, burns skin irritation and rashes. Timing of exposure to pesticides is critical with
children exposed in the womb most likely to be affected. Pesticides have also been linked to
brain cancer in children, parents who get exposed to high levels of pesticides. These effects
are usually from short-term, high level exposure of these chemicals (Science Communication
Unit, University of the West of England, Bristol 2013).
Summary and Conclusion
From the above report it can be concluded that are many hazards which are caused by the
environment and it is very high need to take care of the environment. Taking care of the
environment will help in reducing or eliminating the hazards such as the noise and green
house gases as well as many more hazards which has the direct impacts on the health of the
individuals while construction of the building. Although this project seems to be a small
project it can still cause cumulative and directive environmental health impacts. The
exposure can be short term only during construction or long term. Where children may be
potentially exposed, it is good to adopt a precautionary approach to soil management.
Include in your policy that any bare soil areas in the play areas of children’s services must
be covered with an adequate barrier and properly maintained. This project has considered
the checklists of the hazards which can be caused to the human health. The project has
discussed all the risks which can occur while constructing the building such as while
transportation of building materials can lead to release of the toxic fumes and many more.
Along with this, it has also covered the risks of the construction to the children's, Infants,
pregnant women as well as to the old age people.
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