Waikato residents foul over more smelly milk

Booming Waikato milk production has caused more complaints about smelly dairy waste, this time at Waharoa, near Matamata, where Open Country Dairy has been ordered to get odours under control. Waikato Regional Council said it had formally instructed the dairy company to cease the discharge of objectionable odour from its Waharoa site, following around 19 complaints from neighbours since October 22. The complaints come on the heels of council investigation into a big buttermilk lake created last month on a farm at Atiamuri. Te Awamutu residents have also been complaining to the council about offensive dairy waste odours. Council resource use group spokesman David Stagg said Open Country had advised the smell at Waharoa followed accidental discharges of dairy waste to its treatment ponds and that it was tackling the issue with a range of measures. Open Country chief executive Steve Koekemoer said the company acted as soon as it was notified about complaints, and was installing additional aerators in the ponds. It was also looking ahead to find a long term solution to cope with more wastewater capacity. The company had not experienced odour problems at the plant for years, he said. The council said it would consider its next steps once the Waharoa investigation was complete. It has said its investigation into circumstances leading to the Atiamuri buttermilk lake could take many weeks. Industry observers have said it will take months to irrigate all the accumulated dairy waste onto land. The buttermilk was trucked to the site from Fonterra plants, including Te Rapa and Edgecumbe, as the dairy giant grappled with high spring volumes of by product from initial milk processing.

What Makes Rain Smell So Good?

A mixture of plant oils, bacterial spores and ozone is responsible for the powerful scent of fresh rain. Image via Wikimedia Commons/Juni

Step outside after the first storm after a dry spell and it invariably hits you: the sweet, fresh, powerfully evocative smell of fresh rain.

If you've ever noticed this mysterious scent and wondered what’s responsible for it, you’re not alone.

Back in 1964, a pair of Australian scientists (Isabel Joy Bear and R. G. Thomas) began the scientific study of rain’s aroma in earnest with an article in Nature titled “Nature of Agrillaceous Odor.”  In it, they coined the term petrichor to help explain the phenomenon, combining a pair of Greek roots: petra (stone) and ichor  (the blood of gods in ancient myth).

In that study and subsequent research , they determined that one of the main causes of this distinctive smell is a blend of oils secreted by some plants during arid periods. When a rainstorm comes after a drought, compounds from the oils—which accumulate over time in dry rocks and soil—are mixed and released into the air. The duo also observed that the oils inhibit seed germination, and speculated that plants produce them to limit competition for scarce water supplies during dry times.

These airborne oils combine with other compounds to produce the smell. In moist, forested areas in particular, a common substance is geosmin , a chemical produced by a soil-dwelling bacteria known as actinomycetes . The bacteria secrete the compound when they produce spores, then the force of rain landing on the ground sends these spores up into the air, and the moist air conveys the chemical into our noses.

“It’s a very pleasant aroma, sort of a musky smell,” soil specialist Bill Ypsilantis told NPR during an interview on the topic. “You’ll also smell that when you are in your garden and you’re turning over your soil.”

Because these bacteria thrive in wet conditions and produce spores during dry spells, the smell of geosmin is often most pronounced when it rains for the first time in a while, because the largest supply of spores has collected in the soil. Studies have revealed that the human nose is extremely sensitive to geosmin in particular—some people can detect it at concentrations as low as 5 parts per trillion . (Coincidentally, it’s also responsible for the distinctively earthy taste in beets.)

Ozone —O3, the molecule made up of three oxygen atoms bonded together—also plays a role in the smell, especially after thunderstorms. A lightning bolt’s electrical charge can split oxygen and nitrogen molecules in the atmosphere, and they often recombine into nitric oxide (NO), which then interacts with other chemicals in the atmosphere to produce ozone. Sometimes, you can even smell ozone in the air (it has a sharp scent reminiscent of chlorine) before a storm arrives because it can be carried over long distances from high altitudes.

But apart from the specific chemicals responsible, there’s also the deeper question of why we find the smell of rain pleasant in the first place. Some scientists have speculated that it’s a product of evolution.

Anthropologist Diana Young of the University of Queensland in Australia, for example, who studied the culture of Western Australia’s Pitjantjatjara people , has observed that they associate the smell of rain with the color green, hinting at the deep-seated link between a season’s first rain and the expectation of growth and associated game animals, both crucial for their diet. She calls this “cultural synesthesia”—the blending of different sensory experiences on a society-wide scale due to evolutionary history.

It’s not a major leap to imagine how other cultures might similarly have positive associations of rain embedded in their collective consciousness—humans around the world, after all, require either plants or animals to eat, and both are more plentiful in rainy times than during drought. If this hypothesis is correct, then the next time you relish the scent of fresh rain, think of it as a cultural imprint, derived from your ancestors.


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Water is a curious molecule

Water is a curious molecule with extraordinary properties, which vary depending on temperature and pressure. Life depends on these anomalous characteristics, such as the unusually large heat capacity, high melting and boiling points, high thermal conductivity and surface tension, and shrinking on melting.  

Water is thus of great interest to biologists, chemists, physicists, as well as cosmologists. Despite its simple structure and its obvious importance, it is still poorly understood and many of its aspects, either as a pure substance or as a solvent, are controversial. For more than a century, the combined significance and peculiarity of water inspired scientists to construct conceptual models, which in themselves reproduce the behavior observed. The exploration of structural and binding properties of small water complexes provides a key to understanding bulk water in its liquid and solid phases and to comprehending solvation phenomena.

Do you smell carrot?

Company: Foul odor from Bridgeton Landfill to worsen before getting better

The foul odor coming from a landfill in Bridgeton will get worse before getting better, according to a release from the landfill's owners on Friday. The next phase of improvement involves reinforcing concrete pipe, and is aimed at reducing the overwhelming smell in the area. Construction on this phase will begin Monday and last until April 30, weather permitting. The work will "significantly increase the odor for employees, local businesses and residents," according to the release. In March, Mo. Attorney General Chris Koster announced he would sue Republic Services, the owner of the Bridgeton Landfill , after he said the company violated the state’s environmental protection laws. Matt LaVanchy, assistant fire chief in Pattonville, said he requested the work because it will cut down on hazards involving the landfill, and eventually reduce the odor from the landfill. "This action takes care of two major problems – first, it eliminates a safety hazard that could cause future accidents, and second, and most important to the residents, the removal of the RCPs creates a smooth subgrade to ensure the plastic cap doesn’t tear," said LaVanchy. "This work is absolutely required for the landfill to finish its efforts to dramatically reduce the odors.” Company officials say contractors will conduct air sampling during the upcoming construction phase.

Big Fine For Odour Despite Earnest Efforts By Compost Company

Universal Resource Recovery Inc . pleaded guilty to 2 counts of discharging odours into the environment and was fined $80,000 for each count (total $160,000 + 25% victim fine surcharge, = $200,000). The Welland company's composting facility was located in an area zoned for mixed residential and industrial land uses.It received organic food waste from municipal green bin programs, and began to have difficulty controlling odours soon after the facility opened in 2008. The guilty pleas were for odour discharges on three days in each of 2010 and 2011, which caused discomfort to neighbours and loss of enjoyment of their normal use of property.On several occasions, the facility had received over the 200 tonne per day limit for food, leaf, yard and wet waste set out in its Waste Environmental Compliance Approval (ECA), and had failed to notify the MOE of the waste exceedences or why these had occurred.It had also breached a provincial officer's order issued to address ongoing odour emissions, which restricted the amount of waste received at the site to 100 tonnes per day. The company tried hard to address the odours, including being responsive to odour complaints (staff frequently responded in person), holding community meetings and conducting proactive odour checks.It also worked closely with the MOE. Despite these efforts, the company voluntarily shut down operations for 5 months during 2010 and then permanently in 2011.By the time it recommenced operations after the 2010 shutdown, the company had invested $35 million in capital expenditures on the facility.

Smelling is believing

The new scentsation in search

Coming to your senses: go beyond type, talk, and touch for a new notation of sensation.
Your internet sommelier: expertly curated Knowledge Panels pair images, descriptions, and aromas.
Take a wiff: the Google Aromabase - 15M+ scentibytes.
Don't ask, don't smell: For when you're wary of your query - SafeSearch included.



https://www.google.com/intl/en/landing/nose/





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Tourism staff protest against distracting odour

Ministry of Tourism staff walked off the job yesterday.

ST JOHN’S, Antigua – Several workers at the Ministry of Tourism walked off the job yesterday in protest to a stench that has been permeating the building – on and off – for over a year.

Permanent secretary in the ministry, Milinette Ambrose, told OBSERVER media only one employee reported feeling unwell and was allowed to leave yesterday.

She admitted several others went home but no information regarding reasons was conveyed to her office.

“We had a meeting on Wednesday, when it was indicated, as before, that if workers are feeling uncomfortable or unwell working with the smell in the air, they should report to their department managers or myself before leaving,” Ambrose said.

However, the established protocol was not followed yesterday except in the case of one person, the permanent secretary indicated.

It is not clear whether any action would be taken against those workers who left work without informing the authorities.

However, Ambrose said the ministry is aware of the stench and workers would not be forced to work under such conditions.

Ambrose did not say how the workers’ action affected productivity at the ministry yesterday.

Earlier this week, workers at the Ministry of Education – housed in the same building as the tourism ministry – complained of the odour, which they said smelled like sewage.

They have been plagued by the stench for about two years and have walked off the job in the past – yet not much has been done to address the problem, one worker said yesterday.

Public Works technicians had reportedly examined the sewage system and air conditioning unit in the past to ascertain the source of the smell and how to eliminate it. The stench ceased, but only for a short time and nothing has been done since.

Apart from complaints from those two ministries, similar problems were reported by staff at the High Court and the Ministry of Legal Affairs.

The two government headquarters are housed in buildings in the same area and were constructed by the same engineer.

All the structures are sealed and depend on air conditioning around the clock.

Looking for odour solutions , now

How it works

The company is confident it will solve an odour problem plaguing. The company was creating a foul odour that had besieged the residents.
The residence were happy with the progress it had made to date the problem would abate much earlier than previously expected.

" we expect the odour to be fixed much sooner," he said.

"We are committed to fixing this problem - we don't want to talk about what it's costing us other than to say we're throwing everything we have at it."

.

"The fact that we're getting large amounts of gas each day from the anaerobic lagoons is proof the biological system is working,"

No odour at all was immediately detectable at the 8-metre deep covered lagoon site despite the water having only received minimal treatment.

In the process, solids are removed from the water before it reaches the covered lagoons and micro-organisms then digest the remaining pollutants and expel natural gas which is burned to create energy.


The sewage-like smell emanating from the site has blanketed their homes for months.


Then reducing the amount of foul smelling liquid remaining in the ponds, giving the company further confidence that the offending water would soon be diluted enough to have the smell vanish forever.

The smell was present but downwind it appeared not to be reaching the noxious levels described by some residents.

But the level of odour changes depending on the time of day.

No doubt it was impressive, and that cost appeared to be no object for the company as it battled to control the side effects.

The smell was as bad as ever, particularly at night, and residents remained worried about how long they would be expected to live with the problem and what other side effects may appear down the track.



He said once fully commissioned, the system would boost the company's environmental credentials and should lead to a more harmonious existence with surrounding communities.


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our thought of the day

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway. If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway. What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway. The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway. Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway. In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.

Disgusting odour from Laois dump

Since mid-December a constant disgusting odour had been coming from the Kyletalisha dump, complained Cllr Marc Connolly at Mountmellick Town Council last week. In foggy weather, the odour had hung over the town, he said. It seemed to him that the flares on the dump were no working. “Who is monitoring this?” he asked. Cllr Paddy Bracken, a member of the Kyletalisha monitoring committee, said a capping operation was going on at the tiphead which, he pointed out, was to close. There had been some leakage. The monitoring had complied with EPA guidelines, he added. Cllr Denis O’Mara: “How long have we to put up with this. A year? Two years?” Cllr Bobby Delaney said a nearby farmer, Mr Denis Whelan, had told him that the smell from the tiphead had never been as bad before. Cllr Connolly: “People are entitled to know what type of gas they are inhaling.” Cathaoirleach Rosemary Whelan: “We will have a full report for the next meeting.”

Green bin waste composter faces odour fine

Orgaworld operations manager Greg Mariotti says the company has launched an appeal of a Dec. 27 court decision in which the company and a former manager were convicted and fined. “We are appealing both the convictions and the fines,” he says. Orgaworld and the former manager were fined $44,500 in London’s provincial offences court for “failing to comply with a ministry approval and requirements related to operations at its compost facility.” The Dec. 27 court decision relates to charges laid following a Ministry of the Environment (MOE) investigation into odour complaints at the company’s London facility in 2007-2008. In the Dec. 27 court decision, the company was fined $37,000 plus victim fine surcharges. Former operations manager Steven Mark Van Manen was fined $7,500 plus victim fine surcharges. They were given 90 days to pay. They also received suspended sentences for failing to comply with the written notification. MOE spokesperson Kate Jordan says the convictions relate to “operating a waste disposal site not in accordance with ministry approval.” She says odour complaints from local residents and business owners were received beginning in August 2007. “An order was issued (by the ministry) in the spring of 2008,” Jordan says, “and the investigation and charges stem from that.” She says the order related to an outdoor curing pad. The order required “that they transfer all processing and composting of organic waste indoors.” Jordan says a second investigation into odour complaints dates to the spring and summer of 2010 and relates to odours emitting from the plant generally. That investigation led to a further 24 charges that were laid in February 2012. A pre-trial in provincial offences court on those charges in December 2012 was adjourned to Feb. 4, 2013. The charges stemming from the 2010 investigation are against the company and its president Henricus J. M. Kasdkens. In July of 2010, Jordan says, Orgaworld agreed to suspend operations. They removed all material from the plant and spent $5 million on a plant upgrade intended to deal with odour issues. Orgaworld composts green bin waste from a number of Ontario municipalities. They have two Ontario facilities, one in London and one in Ottawa. The final compost product is sold to Ontario farmers to fertilize fields. Some of the material from the Ottawa plant is also used for animal bedding.