BUFFALO, N.Y., Oct 04, 2004 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- Increased truck traffic at the busiest U.S.-Canada border crossing in the East S. is contributing to a clustering of asthma cases among nearby residents.

University at Buffalo researchers said Monday that residents of neighborhoods located within one-third of a mile of the Peace Bridge crossing in Buffalo are four times more likely to suffer from asthma than those who live more than about 1.25 miles away.

Researchers studied patients living along Niagara Street, Seneca Street and Interstate 190, all of which function as feeder roads for the Peace Bridge and carry heavy truck traffic. Those residents showed increased odds of having asthma, while those living along routes that carry mostly automobile traffic did not.

The research, they said, is the first to document how living near roadways carrying major truck traffic can affect residents.

The findings, which corroborate other research, underscore the fact that public health should be considered when transportation policies are made, they said.

"Our findings are especially relevant since the volume of commercial traffic at this border crossing point will quadruple by the year 2020," the researchers said.

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