'Rotten Egg' Odor Advisory Set To Expire For Coachella Valley

COACHELLA VALLEY, CA —An odor advisory in the Coachella Valley is set to expire Tuesday morning, after elevated levels of hydrogen sulfide wafting up from the Salton Sea caused a stench similar to that of rotting eggs in parts of the region.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District extended an odor advisory through Tuesday morning after detecting hydrogen sulfide concentrations at 239 parts per billion -- exceeding the state standard of 30 parts per billion -- on Sunday morning in a sparsely populated area immediately downwind from the Salton Sea.

"Over the past week, hydrogen sulfide concentrations have been elevated when winds are blowing out of the south, especially during the morning hours," the SCAQMD said in a statement released Sunday.

Elevated levels of the gas near the lake are relatively common and are a product of natural processes in the water. There is increased potential for the foul-smelling odors as winds shift, especially during the summer in the early morning and late afternoon, or as thunderstorms occur over the southwestern U.S. deserts, according to the SCAQMD.

The levels detected on Sunday can cause headaches and nausea, but there are no long-term health risks associated with those symptoms, agency officials said.

Southerly winds expected to pick up during the daylight hours Tuesday could increase the intensity of the odor, the SCAQMD warned.

The district monitors hydrogen sulfide at two locations in the southeastern Coachella Valley -- one near the Salton Sea shoreline and the other in Mecca.

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--City News Service