LANDFILL GAS | Warren Township

Hydrogen sulfide, which smells like rotten eggs, can irritate a person's eyes, nose and throat; trigger severe symptoms of respiratory illnesses; and cause fatigue. Dr. Mike Patterson, an ATSDR medical officer, said people who think they feel their eyes, nose or throat are irritated because of hydrogen sulfide outside their homes should go inside and shut their doors and windows. If the irritation persists, the person should seek medical attention, Patterson said. Doctors can prescribe ear drops and other medicine for hydrogen sulfide exposure, he said.
Between November 2002 and this March, ATSDR officials took air samples from inside and outside seven homes near the landfill, as well as from inside LaBrae High School. They found elevated levels of the gas inside and outside the homes. The results of the high school tests were inconclusive.
ATSDR cites a study that shows people with respiratory illnesses reported headaches after they were exposed to less gas than was found outside the homes. Another study shows that when people exercised in the amount of gas found outside the homes, their muscles were not able to use oxygen. A third study stated that people exposed to hydrogen sulfide levels less than those found inside the homes reported eye irritation 12 times as often as those not exposed to elevated levels of the gas.
ATSDR stated that an "urgent public health hazard" exists for the area near the landfill, because less than one year of exposure to the gas could cause health problems that require rapid intervention. The agency noted that hydrogen sulfide has diminished the quality of life for people living near the landfill, and that it may be difficult for those residents to avoid exposure to the gas since it was found inside and outside their homes. ATSDR also noted that landfill workers may be exposed to levels of the gas that exceed occupational safety standards.
Source: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Register