Latest news with #hydrogensulfide
Gizmodo
2 days ago
- Science
- Gizmodo
California's Salton Sea Is Emitting Way More Toxic Gas Than We Thought
California's largest and most-polluted lake, the Salton Sea, is exuding hydrogen sulfide, a noxious gas, at rates that greatly exceed the state's air quality standards. Alarmingly, a new study finds that California's air quality monitoring systems may be severely underestimating how much toxic pollution is reaching people living near the lake. Hydrogen sulfide, which smells like rotten eggs, is linked to a host of respiratory and neurological symptoms. The new study, published in the journal GeoHealth, highlights the risk the Salton Sea's emissions pose to nearby communities, many of which are predominantly Latino or Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indian. 'The communities around the Salton Sea are on the front lines of a worsening environmental health crisis,' study co-author Mara Freilich, an assistant professor at Brown University, said in a statement. 'Our study shows that hydrogen-sulfide emissions are not only more intense than previous monitoring captured, but they are systematically underreported — especially when sensors are placed away from the lake or out of alignment with prevailing winds.' The Salton Sea is located roughly 160 miles (258 kilometers) east of Los Angeles, just east of Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley. It was initially formed by accident in 1905, when the Colorado River breached its irrigation canal. It has no natural inflows or outflows and is, by state law, primarily sustained by fertilizer-and-pesticide-laden agricultural runoff. The lake has since become nothing short of an environmental catastrophe. Climate change, drought, and reduced water inflows have pushed the Salton Sea's water levels lower and lower over the past two decades, increasing the lake's production of hydrogen sulfide and kicking up toxic dust. For the study, researchers from Brown University, UCLA, Loma Linda University, and UC Berkeley partnered with Alianza Coachella Valley, a local community organization, to examine the causes of hydrogen sulfide emissions from the lake. To measure emissions, the researchers used data captured by South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) monitors, installed by a local agency, at three locations and placed additional sensors within the lake. The study found that between 2013 and 2024, SCAQMD sensors at all three locations consistently exceeded California's air quality standards. The readings peaked in the summer months and in August for each year from 2013 to 2024, Torres Martinez, the site closest to the lake, had an average of more than 250 hours of readings that exceeded state standards. But even these frightening measurements were likely an underestimate, the authors wrote. An air quality sensor deployed in the lake's shallow waters detected substantially higher concentrations of hydrogen sulfide, particularly when wind was blowing over exposed sediment and shallow water. This suggests that there may be significant and overlooked sources of hydrogen sulfide blowing into nearby communities. 'Our results indicate that a significant portion of [hydrogen-sulfide] emissions remains unaccounted for, potentially being transported to communities without air monitoring stations,' the researchers wrote. Among the many communities on the Salton Sea, only three have air quality monitoring sites. The problem will likely get worse. Mitigation efforts for the Salton Sea have not kept up with receding water levels, the study authors wrote, leading to 'serious health impacts' in an area that already has high levels of asthma and other pulmonary ailments.
CBS News
2 days ago
- Health
- CBS News
Chevron Richmond refinery, Air District reach agreement on hazardous gas monitoring
The Bay Area Air District (BAAD) reached an agreement with Chevron on a new air pollution monitoring system at its Richmond refinery that will bring enhanced monitoring for hydrogen sulfide, a smelly and potentially dangerous gas previously not properly monitored according to the Air District's standards. Chevron is the first of the five oil refineries in the nine-county BAAD to reach an agreement with the Air District after all the refineries' fenceline monitoring programs were deemed insufficient and were "disapproved" in October 2023. The agreement announced by the Air District Tuesday will implement a new, more robust monitoring system for hydrogen sulfide, increased data sharing, and more community outreach from the company. Chevron also agreed to pay a penalty of $100,000 to the Air District and agreed to pay further penalties if it violates the settlement agreement, according to the Air District. Hydrogen sulfide, or H2S, is a colorless, hazardous gas that is heavier than air and is a biproduct of the refining process. It can smell like rotten eggs in low concentrations and is also referred to as sewer gas, swamp gas, stink damp, and sour damp, according to the U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA). Health effects can occur even at low levels and include tearing eyes, headaches, nausea and vomiting. Exposure to sulfur dioxide can cause loss of consciousness or death, according to OSHA. The Air District previously required refineries in the Bay Area to monitor the gas with an "open line" monitoring system, which uses a beam of light to measure the presence of hydrogen sulfide over a large area. But in 2022 it told Chevron and others that their fenceline monitoring plans, which detect pollutants at the properties' edge, or fenceline, were deficient and needed to be remade. When the companies submitted their new plans the following year, they were each deemed out of regulatory compliance. Chevron's deficiencies, and necessary corrections, centered around the number of data points that would be created by the monitoring technology, which are supposed to hit a certain threshold both hourly and quarterly. Other issues revolved around how the data was formatted and transmitted to regulators and retained for public review. Under the settlement agreement, Chevron will install a network of four "point monitors" which will have a lower detection threshold for hydrogen sulfide. They detect the gas at certain points rather than over large areas and are said to be more accurate than the open line system currently being used. They are also more reliable in bad weather conditions, such as dense fog, that hampered the open line monitors, according to the BAAD. "This settlement goes beyond what's required, and it reflects the Air District's commitment to transparency, enforcement and public health," said the Air District's executive officer, Philip Fine. "It raises the bar for transparency and community access to air quality data, setting a positive example for the industry." The website maintained by Chevron to report air quality data to the public, will now maintain data for five years, rather than the current three months, and make the data downloadable. A spokesperson for Chevron said the agreement would essentially enhance the monitoring the company was already doing at the refinery. "We know data and transparency are important to our community and are proud to be the first refinery in the Bay Area to move forward with these improvements," the company said in a statement. Chevron will also hold a community meeting to discuss its monitoring program sometime before the end of the year, but it was not yet scheduled as of Wednesday.
CBS News
04-06-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Residents express health concerns after elevated sulfur levels reported at Clairton Coke Works
Elevated sulfur levels reported at the Clairton Coke Works plant this week have some residents concerned for their health. It comes after the Allegheny County Health Department said repairs were being done inside the plant. The reports indicate there were elevated sulfur levels in coke oven gas while repairs took place within a control room. The incident occurred on June 2 at 7:08 p.m., and it was reported that all equipment was back online on June 3 at 3:05 a.m. The preliminary report notes that during the breakdown, control room five was shut down and bypassed, meaning that coke oven gas was only partially treated by control rooms one and two. Control room five removes harmful chemicals such as hydrogen sulfide and ammonia from the gas. U.S. Steel has seven days to submit a full report explaining what happened, the Allegheny County Health Department said in a statement. Some residents told KDKA-TV that they're fed up after the latest breakdown at the plant. "It's dangerous. It's toxic and it should be eliminated," said Felix Major, a former Clairton Coke Works plant employee. "A lot of times you can't breathe," Robert Ebo said, a Clairton resident. "And the smell. The smell early in the morning when you're going to work, it smells like poop," Wilhelmina Phillips said, another Clairton resident. According to the ACHD, the breakdown caused a significant spike in hydrogen sulfide levels in coke oven gas. During the breakdown, a spokesperson said hydrogen sulfide levels measured 32 parts per billion. "For H2S, the ability to smell it and the state regulatory level is 5 ppb. Allegheny County is normally below 1 ppb. The highest hourly sulfur dioxide concentration during the breakdown was 47 ppb on June 2 at 10:00 p.m.," the ACHD said in a statement. "Down on State Street where the mill is, you can smell it all the way up here on top of the hill here, yeah, that's how it moves," Major said. "It smells like sulfur. That's exactly what it smells like, sulfur in the air," Phillips said. Phillips said she moved to Clairton 3 ½ years ago from North Carolina and quickly noticed a difference in her health. "I got to wake up in the middle of the night, [and] put Vicks under my nose. I take an inhaler now, and I never had problems with breathing until I moved here to Clairton," Phillips said. Robert Ebo told KDKA-TV that he suffered from COPD. He said he stays inside when the air is polluted. "I think that what they need to do is just get a better handle on things down there than what it really is," Ebo said. "Because they got the money to pay the fines, the billion-dollar company, and they just overlook that. We're the little man." U.S. Steel sent KDKA-TV a statement saying they've been back to normal operation since early Tuesday morning. "U.S. Steel followed all response protocols to ensure the safety of its employees and the community. The Allegheny County Health Department was notified, in accordance with our operating permit," U.S Steel said.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Mount Dora study IDs likely source of pungent mystery smell
The source of a mystery stench that has plagued Mount Dora residents and visitors for years may finally have been identified by consultants for the city and Lake County. Now the question is what to do about it. According to the consultants' 83-page report, funded by a combined $270,000 from the two local governments, the Mid Florida Materials Mount Dora landfill on State Road 46 is likely generating the hydrogen sulfide gas that gives off the pungent odor. The study exonerates the city's sewage treatment plant, while also noting weather patterns in the area worsen the problem. 'The Mid Florida Mount Dora landfill has the most significant impact on odor conditions in the study area,' the report concluded. 'It is further observed that calm wind conditions prevent dispersion, allowing foul odors to accumulate in the area, resulting in more severe odor conditions.' The study addressed 'odor conditions and likely odor sources' near ground zero for the stink: Sullivan Ranch, Stoneybrook and areas close to the junction of U.S. 441 and SR 46. City officials chose consulting firm Halff to lead the study, with California-based V&A Consulting Engineers subcontracting to help complete background reviews and project management duties, among other tasks. 'The final report, V&A was able to determine, as we expected, that the odor was not being emitted from any of our facilities but from the landfill,' Andrew Marsian, Mount Dora utilities & plant operations director, said. 'We have a meeting next week with some of the stakeholders to decide the best approach with this moving forward.' Investigators acknowledged the disposal site — described as a 'construction and demolition landfill' — was not fully accessible during the study and that all observations were conducted from the perimeter of the site. Mid Florida Materials issued a statement pledging to review the findings. 'Our facility has been and remains in full compliance with applicable air quality regulations, and we will address any concerns of the DEP,' it read. The investigators identified several aroma hotspots within the landfill property, including retention ponds, vents and the landfill 'working face' — the location where waste is dumped, deposited, compacted, and covered. While specific sources of hydrogen sulfide were not named, demolition landfills can include drywall waste, which often contains sulfur that emits a rotten-egg smell when wet. The report also included a number of 'weak' odor sources observed during the study, including odors emanating from the Curaleaf cannabis facility on Britt Road and Goldflower Cannabis facility on Niles Road. A 'slight odor' was detected at both facilities that was later identified as cannabis and 'not similar to the odors observed in the study area'. The cannabis facilities were determined as 'unlikely' to cause the persistent foul odor that led to the study. Over the years, multiple locations have been suspected as the source of the stench, particularly the landfill and the city's wastewater treatment plant along James P. Snell Drive off U.S. 441. Mount Dora then took steps to help rectify the situation, including the installation of a $500,000 carbon biofilter in 2022 and the addition of monitors to detect hydrogen sulfide at its wastewater treatment plant in March 2023. But the smell persisted and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection issued a consent order requiring the city ramp up odor mitigation efforts in November 2023. An initial study, authored by consulting firm Kimley-Horn, indicated the odor is 'highly unlikely to be coming from the wastewater and collections system' but left unsaid what the culprit might be. Mount Dora councilmember Cal Rolfson said he believes this most recent study fully clears the city of responsibility for the smell, allowing city officials to move forward with DEP and focus on alleviating the odor for good. 'This vindicates the city of Mount Dora, in my opinion, with clear and convincing evidence that states it is not our problem and not our issue,' Rolfson said. 'But it is our issue in terms of needing to work with [FDEP] and do something about this. The smell comes into our city and therefore we have some responsibility to make sure responsible parties are contacted and that we deal with them appropriately and legally.' Have a tip about Central Florida development? Contact me at jwilkins@ or 407-754-4980. Follow GrowthSpotter on Facebook and LinkedIn.
