SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) -- Residents near the Tijuana River Valley are growing more afraid of potential long-term health risks due to toxic gases in the area.
Ana Urrea recently took her husband, Jose, to South Bay Urgent Care after the 61-year-old had been feeling extremely ill for two weeks.
"It started with a lot of pain, vomit, headache, and nausea," Urrea said.
After common viruses were ruled out, Urrea suspects her husband's illness may be linked to the overwhelming stench coming from the nearby Tijuana River Valley, located just a short distance from their Nestor home.
"The smell is horrible -- every week, every morning, every day, every night," she added.
The odor comes from millions of gallons of sewage that flow down the river daily and into the ocean, leading to Imperial Beach being closed for over 1,000 days. Health experts warn that the sewage is producing a toxic mix of gases, including hydrogen cyanide and hydrogen sulfide, both of which can be extremely harmful if inhaled or ingested.
"When the smell gets really bad, we see people with wheezing, asthma, and COPD -- those with chronic diseases really start having trouble breathing," said Dr. Matt Dickson, who runs South Bay Urgent Care.
Over the past year, Dr. Dickson has observed an unusually high number of patients suffering from headaches, nausea, and respiratory issues.
"We don't know what's in that water and what people are being exposed to when they breathe in that air," Dickson said. "My honest concern is, is this going to be the next Flint, Michigan? Are we going to find out 10, 20 years from now that people are going to have leukemia, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, different cancers?"
Edward Leon, a longtime resident near the Tijuana River, shares these concerns. He recently experienced difficulty breathing and had to seal off his home completely.
"Two days ago, I was having a hard time breathing, so I had to go in my house and completely lock everything up," Leon said. "I talked to my wife and said, 'Hey, man, we might have to move out of here because that's going to kill us living here. Sooner or later, it's going to affect our bodies -- we're old, we are not young people anymore."
Dr. Dickson is urging state and federal leaders to take action, calling on them to declare a state of emergency.