The regulatory agency that oversees San Diego County air quality has released a way for South Bay residents to monitor local hydrogen sulfide levels.
The dashboard was installed as a response to concerns about air quality amid a major environmental crisis in the Tijuana River Valley.
It comes with a guidance monitor and a chart with color-coded threshold levels. It also provides information about advisories and actions to be taken by SDAPCD.
South Bay communities have been affected by odors caused by hydrogen sulfide, also called H2S, a colorless, toxic gas with an odor similar to rotten eggs that can cause dizziness, headaches, nausea, and irritation of the eyes and nose.
H2S, also known as “sewer gas” or “stink damp,” is created by the bacterial breakdown of organic material. The board of the Air Pollution Control District requested an air quality alert system for the gas in September after local university researchers made public what they said were extremely dangerous levels of hydrogen sulfide near the Tijuana Valley River.
The odors are produced by the ongoing untreated wastewater and sewage flows in the Tijuana River Valley, said SDAPCD, which observed that a changing climate and aging infrastructure each have their roles in the current environmental crisis affecting South Bay and Tijuana.
“This past summer, the community experienced an unprecedented increase in the intensity of odors resulting from high sewage flows, inadequate infrastructure maintenance, and extreme heat,” said SDAPCD in a statement.
“As a result, SDAPCD has expanded its H2S monitoring in the area, and developed the dashboard and guidance to provide more complete information to the public.”
The Community Hydrogen Sulfide Guidance, as well as updates on other SDAPCD actions to address the Tijuana River sewage crisis, will be presented at SDAPCD’s next governing board meeting.
