Odor control.

Landfills receive odor complaints from local residents potentially resulting in
legal ramifications and decreasing quality of life of the neighboring communities.
However, analytical technologies to objectively measure odors in the field that will
reflect human odor perceptions at a reasonable price do not currently exist. Hydrogen
sulfide (H2S) is detectable by humans at low odor thresholds and may be one of the main
nuisance odors emanating from landfills. For the first time, hOBPIIa complexed with 1-
AMA has been used to detect H2S concentrations by spectrofluorometry. The optimal
ratio of hOPBIIa-to-1-AMA was determined to be approximately 1:1. A strong linear
regression model was generated to predict H2S concentrations from peak fluorescent
emission intensity measurements within a range of 0-8.3 g of H2S. A novel
experimental exposure chamber prototype was developed that has the potential to be
incorporated into a portable sensor because it is compact.

One of the factors recognized as affecting the dispersion of landfill odors off-site
are complex meteorological conditions. A major issue is lack of consistent means to
identify the odors and their intensity. The aim of this research was to investigate the
influence of meteorological parameters (temperature, humidity, pressure, wind direction,
wind speed, precipitation accumulation and weather conditions) on the frequency of odor
complaints from nearby neighborhoods. Methods involved collection of ten years of data
on odor complaints and weather conditions to determine if there were commonalities.
Sophisticated statistical analyses employed did not reveal any relationships between odor
complaints and weather alone. Need for substantial improvement of detailed information
is recognized. To help identify the factors that influence odor complaints- a revised odor
complaint form, along with operational adjustments, were recommended. An “Odor Threat Assessment Level” is proposed to assist landfill site personnel in managing daily
operations, based on weather conditions.