Now, What s That Smell? Challenges of Community Odor Evaluation

Transcription

1 I Don t Know Art I don t know anything about art, but I know what I like. Now, What s That Smell? Challenges of Community Odor Evaluation EHS Management Systems and Principles August 29, 2011 Erik A. Shamberger, CIH, CHMM, LEED AP Corporate Senior Industrial Hygienist, The Sherwin Williams Company Former Project Director Ohio Region Bureau Veritas North America Gelette Burgess Odor is a highly individual experience 2 The Art of Smell(ing) Odor is a Powerful Emotional and Visceral Sense At its most basic, the sense of odor is a chain of events chemicals with odorous properties excite receptors in the nasal cavity which in turn carry impulses to the limbic centers of the brain, and then to the cortex, where data is processed. "I love the smell of napalm in the morning... The smell, you know that gasoline smell... Smells like... victory" The brain interprets the impulses from the olfactory nerve, and goes through a complex series of comparisons and contrasts, until it has selected from collected experience, the smell while the limbic system quickly associates it quite strongly with an emotion. Lt. Col. Bill Kilgore, Apocalypse Now Odors trigger emotions 3 4 It Insinuates into Popular Culture Oooh that smell, can t you smell that smell? LynyrdSkynyrd (Both) Fish and visitors it smell after three days. Benjamin Franklin Ever Present Byproduct of Industrial Processes Biological Activity Paper Processing Coking Oil Refining Wastewater Treatment Feedlots 5 6 1

2 Odorous Components Common In Industrial Environments Factors to Consider in Planning Odor Investigations Reduced Sulfur Compounds Amines Volatile Organic Compounds Ammonia Among Others Strategies Distributed Sampling Use of Trained Observers Untrained Observers? Challenges Cost Training Technology Admissibility 7 8 Limitations of Observers Individual sensitivities Threshold is a little different for everyone What is offensive to one may be less so to another Odor Fatigue BIAS Untrained Observers Use of untrained observers: Lots of potential observations Little uniformity Training doesn t solve much individuals are still variable 9 10 Testing Rationale Do you test? What do you test for? How do you collect and manage the sample? Once you have a result, what do you compare it to? With All The Difficulties, Why Test? Zoning ordinances Nuisance Laws Quality of Life Issues Evaluation of hazardous substance release issues

3 Analytical Testing Limitations Analytical Testing Limitations Is there a Test Method? Is there a Test Method? Right Time Analyte Presence Right Time Did we Sample Properly? Available opportunities to obtain a meaningful result Right Place Right Place Analyte Presence (above detection limit) Comparative Testing Essentially Does it smell more here or there? Uses a Olfactometer Gives you a value but it s still potentially subjective and the scales are far from absolute. Case Study Southeast Wooster, Ohio The Problem The Test Location For approximately 7 years, the SE corner of the city, an area of older homes surrounding a small industrial park in a river valley, experienced periodic odor issues. The test location is located in Wooster, Ohio, a medium-sized Midwest town with a number of blended industrial, residential areas

4 Complaints Residents complained of various pungent odors, but had little uniformity: Skunk Rotten Eggs Cat Urine Chemical Odors The Industrial Park The industrial park contained several potential odor-generating operations: Waste Transfer Station Industrial Oily Wastewater Pretreatment facility Vacuum Truck Dispatch yard Pallet manufacturer The industrial oily wastewater treatment facility was considered the source of the odor by the residents The Suspected Source The facility denies that it is the source of the odor, but wants to be a good neighbor, after the City begins zoning actions to remove its permit to operate Other Information Gained physical access to the site. This is not always possible. We had good access to both the technical professionals at the facility as well as waste input records. We interviewed residents and neighbors to try and determine the conditions that were present when the odor was experienced. Questions to ask: How would you characterize the odor? How often does the odor occur? From what direction does the odor seem to be coming from? Are there other conditions we should account for? Windspeed? Direction? Weather conditions? Site Operations The site treats nonhazardous oily wastewater and precipitates metals by adjusting ph. Solid separation/filter press and absorbents are also used. Inputs Leachate Oil water Separator Contents Other industrial wastewaters Grain/Food Processing Waste Outputs Filter cake Absorbed liquid into autofluff Wastewater discharged to POTW Analytes Chosen Amines Nitrogen Phosphorous Detection VOCs TO compound list Ammonia OSHA ID 188 Reduced Sulfide Scan ASTM D

5 Initial Sampling Sample Conditions We used combination of atmosphere capture (Tedlar bag), Summa canisters, and industrial hygiene sampling, using Amine and Ammonia sample media. Samples were placed at the facility in question, as well as at the perimeter and elsewhere in the neighborhood. We waited for a dry weather day and executed the sampling program. High humidity and rainfall can affect results. In Ohio, that s a lot of false starts. Over a four hour period, with a fairly steady wind from the south, we collected samples Analytical Results Amine, Ammonia and VOCs at very low concentrations onsite. Reduced Sulfide Analytical Results #3 DMS: 85 ppbv N Below detection limit at site perimeter. #5 DMS: 120 ppbv Reduced sulfur scan had the largest response for Dimethyl Sulfide (odor threshold ppb). Traceable from high concentration onsite at an open digestion tank to lower concentrations, directly downwind. #2 DMS: 5.8ppbV DMS: 210,000 ppbv DMS:190 ppbv #4 DMS: 7.1 ppbv #7 DMS: 240 ppbv H2S: 13 ppbv #10 DMS: 7.2 ppbv Dimethyl Sulfide Analytical Results - Neighborhood Lessons Learned For our site: DMS was measured above the odor threshold at the property perimeter. High congruence between anecdotal reports of residents and DMS characteristics Traceable from the source onsite to offsite Odor investigations involve substantial research and preplanning Highly variable conditions can affect the quality of data Testing strategy was praised by the USEPA, ATSDR and US Public Health Service as a good model, Region V requested permission to use the sampling plan as the basis for similar investigations

6 Summary Summary Research the site, process and surrounding environment if possible, evaluate the process on the ground If access is not possible, use other means to approximate data regulatory filings, past complaints, zoning and construction documents, articles of incorporation, etc. Is there a likely culprit? Remember, differing inputs will provide different outputs Gather anecdotal data this can be of limited value if contradictory Investigate other possible sources Your hypothesis may be erroneous Summary - When the time comes to evaluate Determine what sort of investigation to perform Qualitative based on observation? Observer training Qualitative/Quantitative based on comparison? Scentometer Quantitative based on air testing ti methods Limited availability of methods If you Choose Analytical Testing Sample selection Method selection Detection limits vs odor thresholds if it is there, is there enough for us to measure? Location, Location, Location Bureau Veritas Presentation _ Date Summary - Analytical Testing Limitations Right Place Right Time Right Method Contaminant must be present to measure Summary of Sampling Considerations Testing difficulty Timing Placement Sample in depth Atmospheric Conditions Expense Hold Time Detection Limits

7 Summary Interpretation What it all Means Summary Reporting and Communicating Results Consider the results What will you do with the data? Why are you sampling? What does it mean if there is no detection? Level of Reporting is an important consideration Who is your information consumer? They have their own agendas You may have to educate them Special Thanks and Acknowledgements Questions and Further Information Without the following, this presentation would not have been possible - The City of Wooster, Ohio Bureau Veritas North America The Sherwin-Williams Company Their cooperation and sponsorship is much appreciated Please Contact: Erik A. Shamberger, CIH, CHMM, LEED AP Senior Industrial Hygienist - Corporate Group, Sherwin-Williams Erik.Shamberger@Sherwin.com