‘Rotten’ odor in Carson frustrates residents

By Isabella Villatoro|November 27, 2021

Workers from the Ocean Blue Environmental Services, Inc., spray the Dominguez Channel with Epoleon, an odor neutralizer that converts hydrogen sulfide into salt, just off Chico and 213th street in Carson on Saturday, Nov. 13. Photo by Jose Tobar/The Union

On Oct. 7, the City of Carson was flooded with an odor of an unknown source, with local residents describing the odor as being similar to rotten eggs, sewage and farts.

A rapid growth of bacteria using anaerobic digestion to process organic materials was the main reason why the mass of water lacked oxygen. A result of the anaerobic digestion is that the hydrogen sulfide causes an odor that is often compared to rotten eggs or sulfide.

The Director of Public Works Los Angeles, Mark Pestrella said at the City Town Hall meeting on Nov. 9, 2021, “On Oct. 7, Public Works was notified that a foul odor was emanating from the Dominguez Channel, and upon investigation, we discovered 90-acre feet, or about 90 Rose Bowls full of one foot of water within an estuary with zero dissolved oxygen.”

Researchers were able to determine how low the dissolved oxygen level is in the channel.

“When we tested the water column we found it had been impacted to a point where again the dissolved oxygen concentration was as low as 0.1 milligrams per liter, mainly due to high chemical oxygen demand,” Pestrella said.

While there were low levels of dissolved oxygen found, the water contained high levels of other elements.

“We also found high levels of acetone at 9.6 milligrams per liter and sulfides at 80 milligrams per liter these are products of anaerobic digestion and they are again indicators that the water quality was very poor in this area,” Pestrella said.

The smell was prominent and difficult to ignore as it was noticeable by both Carson City residents and for people passing through Carson on their daily commutes to work or school, including students and faculty at El Camino College.

El Camino College real estate professor John Yeressian, 40, stands at the entrance of his hotel room on Monday, Nov. 15 during his stay at the Hyatt Place LAX in Los Angeles. Before staying at the Hyatt Place, Yeressian had previously moved himself into a hotel room after the pungent odor in the Dominguez Channel became too much to bear, he said. Photo by Jose Tobar/The Union — El Camino College real estate professor John Yeressian, 40, stands at the entrance of his hotel room on Monday, Nov. 15 during his stay at the Hyatt Place LAX in Los Angeles. Before staying at the Hyatt Place, Yeressian had previously moved himself into a hotel room after the pungent odor in the Dominguez Channel became too much to bear, he said. “I stuck it out,” Yeressian said. “It was 24-7 around the clock odor and it kept going, the next day it kept going but by the third-fourth day my clothes started smelling. I couldn’t wear anything out from my house [because] I would smell like rotten eggs.” Photo by Jose Tobar/The Union

“I have never smelled something like it. I mean, if there was a corpse rotting, it would probably smell better than the odor here in Carson,” real estate faculty member and professor John Yeressian said.

Community members at ECC have also drawn different conclusions upon noticing the odor for the first time.

“I came home from work one day around like eleven, forty-five or so, basically midnight. And I thought one of my neighbor’s pipes had burst or something because just as soon as I got out of my car when I got home, it just smelled so strong and awful in the air,” El Camino College alumni and realtor, Zachary Noble said.

Yeressian said the strong smell began penetrating his clothing to the point that washing them would not remove the smell. The odor would also affect the way that people socialize due to the discomfort of the smell coming from their clothes.

“Everything smelled like it. I work deeper into Torrance at a little brewery as well on the side, and I walked in with just my clothes reeking. It just smelt. And so everyone’s like, ‘What dude you smell terrible.’ And that’s a huge insult.

Not only did the smell affect people’s daily lives, but it was also affecting their health. Many Carson residents started experiencing symptoms including headaches, nausea, vomiting, and/or diarrhea, after smelling hydrogen sulfide constantly.

“After the third day of the smell 24/7, I started having constant headaches, and then I started getting vomiting and nausea. It started going up and I am trying to do class and I am getting sick, like not feeling well during classes, during zoom meetings, during anything work-related.” Yeressian added.

El Camino College real estate professor John Yeressian, 40, prepares for his Real Estate Principles class over zoom during his stay at the Hyatt Place LAX in Los Angeles on Monday Nov. 15. Yeressian, a Carson resident was forced to move into a hotel room as a result of a fetid hydrogen sulfide gas, likened to rotten eggs, that has continued to emanate from the Dominguez Channel since October. Photo by Jose Tobar/The Union — El Camino College real estate professor John Yeressian, 40, prepares for his Real Estate Principles class over zoom during his stay at the Hyatt Place LAX in Los Angeles on Monday Nov. 15. Yeressian, a Carson resident was forced to move into a hotel room as a result of a fetid hydrogen sulfide gas, likened to rotten eggs, that has continued to emanate from the Dominguez Channel in Carson since October. “There’s been some kind of improvement,” Yeressian said. “But it comes through overnight and it goes away in the morning and when it’s gone in the morning outside, it’s already smelling inside in my place.” Photo by Jose Tobar/The Union

The severity of side effects depended on where the person lived, how strong the smell was and the sensibility to hydrogen sulfide the person has. Some people like Yeressian, who suffered multiple symptoms from constant contact with the odor were asked to be relocated.

The Los Angeles County of Public Works advised residents to either buy air purifiers or relocate to avoid contact with the substance in the air. The Carson City Council is currently offering reimbursement for hotels and air purifiers since they are the only two ways to either prevent or improve contact with hydrogen sulfide.

“You can remain in those hotels, we want you to, we are also attempting to reach out to you. If you are one of those residents who are been relocated and getting that information, you certainly can call our 211 lines to get information from the county. We are proposing to do is have those residents move to the county’s relocation program so that we can consistently serve you and your needs.” Pestrella said.

Ocean Blue Environmental Services, Inc., workers refill their boat with Epoleon, an odor neutralizer that converts hydrogen sulfide into salt, just off Chico and 213th street in Carson on Saturday, Nov. 13. Photo by Jose Tobar/The Union — Just off the 405 Freeway, over East 213th St., Ocean Blue Environmental Services, Inc., workers refill their boat with Epoleon, an odor neutralizer that converts hydrogen sulfide into salt on Saturday, Nov. 13. A foul smelling odor described by Carson residents as rotten eggs, sewage and farts, was first reported in early October. Photo by Jose Tobar/The Union

In the beginning, Carson showed levels of 350 PPM (Parts Per Million) and now the level decreased to 30. According to the United States Department of Labor, for hydrogen sulfide to be “immediately dangerous to life and health,” also identified as IDLH, levels of hydrogen sulfide must be at 100ppm or higher.

Even though Pestrella announced that the estuary of the Dominguez Hills canal will be back to normal in two years during the Council Town Hall meeting, the hydrogen sulfide levels have been reducing significantly. Decreased levels in hydrogen sulfide reduces the smell and therefore, reduces the distress to Carson’s residents.

“I mean, usually I’m gone during the days, but during the bulk of the day, smelt normal air, smelt fine, clean. It was as soon as it started becoming night that it started to really smell bad. And then, yeah, in the mornings, not anymore,” Noble said. “Luckily, I don’t smell it anymore at all. But that’s how it was for a couple of weeks here, maybe longer than a couple of weeks.”