Seven things you need to know about Sappi’s smell
Especially in the early mornings, a sulphur smell, to which humans are incredibly sensitive, assaults the senses.
Along with the cold temperatures came a strong odour that filled the Lowveld air this past couple of days. Here are seven interesting facts that sheds light on the matter.
Weather conditions and the odour
Adverse winter conditions, cloudy conditions and temperature inversion can results in the mill odour being detectable in certain areas in Nelspruit. The other occasion when the mill’s odour could possibly be detectable in the Nelspruit area is when the mill shuts down or starts up as will be the case in the current shut.
Ngodwana Mill Odour
When Ngodwana mill cooks wood chips to extract their fibres for the pulp making process, organic sulphide compounds in the wood are released as Total Reduced Sulphur (TRS) gases. Although Ngodwana Mill’s processes collect the majority volume of TRS gases, a small amount unfortunately escapes, causing an unpleasant odour, similar to that of boiling cabbage at home. TRS gases are detectable by the human nose at extremely low concentrations (< 3 parts per billion).
Did you know?
Humans are so sensitive to the smell that if a drop the size of a pinhead was present in an Olympic size swimming pool, we would immediately be able to detect it. For this reason, the Ngodwana Mill’s pulp making odour can never be totally eliminated.
What does Sappi do to reduce the odour?
The mill is upgrading the line kiln which incinerates odour (TRS gases). Results from previous upgrades show that over time there has been a significant reduction of both the area that is affected and the concentration of detectable gas particles. As part of Sappi’s sustainability journey we are continuously improving our technology, and when the pulp production process changes, we also make changes and improvements to the gas collection system. Unfortunately it is impossible to contain the odour to a specific area and the impact is made worse by climatic conditions.
Does the odour pose a health hazard to people living and working nearby?
No, the emissions pose neither a health nor an environmental risk. In fact, the Mill’s odorous gas emissions are significantly below acceptable world health standards. We measure ambient gas concentrations at the Mill’s ambient air monitoring station on an ongoing basis to monitor our performance.
Who monitors the mill’s air emissions?
Not only is the mill’s air emissions monitored and evaluated by the authorities to comply with legal requirements, the mill’s environmental performance is also monitored and evaluated quarterly by an independent monitoring committee comprising local residents, representatives from various regulatory authorities and other interested and affected parties. The mill also works with world renowned experts in their fields as in the measurement and modelling of the air emissions.
Who to contact about an odour complaint?
Phone 013 734 6111 or eMail mia.smith@sappi.com
