As per the request from the Department of Environmental Protection and in conjunction with the Department of Health, the following fact sheets concerning information about Hydrogen Sulfide, the sulfur odor detected in both Taylor and Old Forge Boroughs in December 2003, is posted below.
 

FACT SHEET

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Environmental Protection

Sulfur Odors Being Detected in Taylor and Old Forge Borough

Recently, sulfur/rotten egg odors have been detected in both Taylor and Old Forge Boroughs.  The Department has determined that these odors are currently emanating from the ERSI Construction and Demolition Landfill and/or the former municipal landfill known as the Amity Landfill located on Union Street in Taylor Borough.

DEP has confirmed operational problems at the site that are responsible for the sulfur/rotten egg odors.  DEP has also determined that ERSI has not responded to the off-site odors in an acceptable manner, nor have they corrected the operational issues in order eliminate the off-site odors.

The Department has issued an Administrative Order to ERSI Landfill requiring the facility to promptly correct the operational deficiencies discovered at the facilities and eliminate the odors and public nuisances.

What to do if you are affected by the odors?

The public, being affected by the odors, are encouraged to take the following action(s):

-        Contact ERSI Landfill directly, or representatives of the facility to inform them how their lack of appropriate actions are resulting in a public nuisance and impacting your health and welfare.  Contact the Facility or Facility Representative at the following phone numbers:

ERSI Landfill I.D. #100932

1100 Union Street

Taylor, PA  18517

(570) 562-3133  

Scott Haan - Operations Manager  (Cell) - (570) 840-4267

Nick Genova - Site Manager (Cell) ö (570) 954-0864

HYDROGEN SULFIDE  (H2S)

SOURCES
EXPOSURE & HEALTH EFFECTS
EXPOSURE LIMITS & GUIDELINES
 

What is Hydrogen Sulfide? 

Hydrogen Sulfide is a flammable colorless gas with a strong odor of rotten eggs.  Odor can be detected at concentrations as low as 0.5 parts per billion (ppb).  It is released to the environment from: 

         - Decaying organic matter;

         - Sewage sludge, liquid manure;

         - Landfills;

         - Natural gas, volcanic gasses, crude petroleum;

- Industrial sources include petroleum refineries, natural gas        plants, petrochemical plants, coke oven plants, paper mills, food processing plants, and tanneries, etc; and is

- Also produced by bacteria found in the mouth and gastrointestinal tract.

Routes of Exposure and Health Effects

 How does H2S enter the body?

H2S can enter the body when a person breathes it in the air and is absorbed through the lungs.  Absorption of the gas through skin is considered to be minimal in humans.

Does H2S bio-accumulate in the body?

H2S does not accumulate in the body.  Once H2S enters the body, it may be metabolized (broken down) into simple compounds that can be eliminated from the body.  Broken down H2S is partly excreted in the urine.  Unmetabolized H2S is excreted through the lungs.

How does H2S affect human health?

          The effects of H2S on human health depends on how much of H2S is present and the length and frequency of exposure.  Some of the health effects of exposure to H2S are as follows:

         Acute (Short-term) Health Effects

-        Exposure to low levels (about 20,000-150,000 ppb) can cause irritation to the eyes, nose, throat, and respiratory tract.

-        Exposure to high concentrations (about 500,000 ö 1,000,000 ppb) can lead to loss of consciousness, coma, respiratory paralysis, etc.

Chronic (Long-term) Health Effects

-        Reports of adverse health effects of H2S on humans due to chronic intoxication are not well established.  Some have postulated that expose below 50,000 ppb over long periods may cause neuroesthenic symptoms such as fatigue, headache, dizziness, irritability, etc.

-        H2S has not been shown to cause cancer in humans and its possible ability to cause cancer in animals has not been studied thoroughly.  H2S has not been classified for its ability to cause or not cause cancer.

-        Limited studies using animals exposed to H2S have not shown reproductive or birth defects.

Exposure Limits and Guidelines

-        The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulates H2S in the work place.  It has established an acceptable ceiling concentration of 20,000 ppb for H2S.

-        The National Academy of Sciencesâ (NAS) continuous exposure (90 day) guidance level, is 1000 ppb.  The emergency exposure (24 hours) guidance level is 10,000 ppb.

-        Recently, the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has established H2S exposure levels posing minimal risk to humans (Minimal Risk Levels or MRL). An MRL is defined as an estimate of daily human exposure (24 hours) to a substance that is likely to be without an appreciable risk of adverse non-cancer health effects over a specified duration of exposure.

          -        The Acute MRL (14 days or less) is 500 ppb.