An odor advisory was was issued Monday weeks after the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District (SDCAPCD) unveiled their new odor alert system for communities potentially affected by cross-border pollution in the Tijuana River Valley.
The "rotten egg" smell, which was detected in South Bay areas near the watershed, is caused by hydrogen sulfide emissions, which can produce strong odors even at low concentrations, according to the SDCAPCD. The exposure to the smell can lead to symptoms, such as headaches and nausea.
On Sunday night, monitoring equipment in the Nestor residential neighborhood recorded elevated levels of hydrogen sulfide. Berry Elementary School recorded levels exceeding the 30 parts per billion threshold established by the California Office of Health Hazard Assessment, a limit set to protect children, older adults, and individuals with specific health conditions.
The SDCAPCD advises the following precautions to reduce exposure should the odor persist:
- Limit outdoor activities if you smell odor that is bothersome.
- Keep doors and windows closed to prevent odor from coming indoors. Air out your home or building when odor is not present (by opening doors and windows, for example).
- For indoor air quality, use air conditioning if available (or a central/portable heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system) and/or indoor air purifiers.4 Filters (high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, for example) with activated charcoal (plus potassium permanganate, if available) are recommended.
- If possible, businesses should run the HVAC system for 1-2 hours before business hours.
- People with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or other chronic lung conditions should have their rescue medication(s) readily available.
- If symptoms from strong odor persists, are worrisome, or worsen, seek medical care.
Source: SDCAPCD
Residents can consult an SDCAPCD online dashboard that updates every 24 hours with hourly hydrogen sulfide readings from Nestor and San Ysidro to understand its health risk and how to respond.
Recently, San Diego County announced that more than 2,150 San Diego County residents responded to a federal survey about how pollutants in the Tijuana River Valley have impacted their lives.
The survey had a particular interest about how the pollution is impacting children in the South Bay. It asks about physical and mental health, health services used and medical history, as well as a section for pet health.
For more information, please visit www.sdapcd.org/TJRiver
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