In summer 2022, New Garden Township responded to complaints about odors being emitted from nearby mushroom composting facilities by commissioning a scientific study. The one-year study conducted by Lorenzo Cena, Ph.D., of West Chester University, measured the air quality near the mushroom farms — specifically whether ammonia, methane and hydrogen sulfide met or exceeded acceptable levels as determined by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). At a recent public meeting, Cena shared the study’s findings that revealed that hydrogen sulfide levels were 33 times higher than the recommended levels established by the DEP for the general public, which specifies that concentrations of the gas over the course of one hour should not exceed 0.1 ppm and that concentrations over a 24-hour period should not exceed 0.005 ppm. Read more here.
Source: Chester County Press; 9/11/2024