Odor Alert Issued for Coachella Valley

By City News Service

Residents in parts of the Coachella Valley were warned by regional air quality officials Tuesday to expect the smell of rotten eggs, caused by higher-than-usual levels of hydrogen sulfide being emitted by the Salton Sea.

The gas is part of “natural processes” occurring in the Salton Sea and the smell could be spread by high winds, according to officials with the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

State standards suggest hourly average concentrations of hydrogen sulfide outdoors should not exceed 30 parts per billion. Those levels peaked at 36 parts per billion this morning, downwind of the Salton Sea, officials said.

Levels measured by a second monitor in the nearby town of Mecca did not exceed the state standard.

At 30 parts per billion, some people could experience headaches and nausea but the symptoms would be temporary and no long-term health effects would be expected, officials said.