Smith said he encourages the town's consultant to examine scientific literature on landfill gases to determine whether additional and expanded monitoring is needed. The test involved taking five-minute samples of air at five different sites, inside and outside the landfill on a January morning. While those samples show what was coming from the landfill at the time, they do not portray what people living around the landfill were exposed to at different times and under different conditions, he said. At five times the odor threshold, hydrogen sulfide can cause headaches and nausea, according to some studies, said Smith. He said one study has indicated the chemical can aggravate asthma symptoms at 200 times the odor threshold.
Landfill gas is caused by the decomposition of household waste.
Jeff McGown, manager of the Crossroads Landfill, said the January test was designed to incorporate locations and the time of day which coincided with complaints his company received.