Impact of Landfill Mitigation Efforts to Reduce Air Toxins in Bristol, Tennessee and Virginia

Abstract For over a year, the residents of Bristol, Tennessee (TN) and Virginia (VA) have experienced significant exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including benzene, toluene, and hydrogen sulfide. Ambient levels of these air toxics have been measured by the EPA and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. Based on the concentrations found during these sampling events, a Plan of Action was released on July 6, 2022 to begin incremental steps towards mitigating the air toxics emanating from the landfill. This Plan of Action presents a time critical opportunity to measure the impact of this environmental policy to improve air quality and reduce odors. Since October 2021, Haynes (PI) has been developing a community-academic research partnership with the community to identify research strategies to identify their indoor exposures and potential health impacts. They residents have reported their experiences as “an endless nightmare,” with “non-stop odor that stays in the house,” and “its hard to breathe.” Given the partnership of our research team with the City Manager and community residents, we are poised to evaluate the impacts of an environmental policy to reduce air toxics, odors, and evaluate the potential long-term health consequences related to these exposures.? We propose these highly time-sensitive specific aims: Aim 1: Characterize indoor and outdoor concentrations of VOCs and hydrogen sulfide in and around homes of Bristol, VA/TN residents prior to the implementation of the mitigation action plan.??Aim 2: Characterize indoor and outdoor concentrations of VOCs?and hydrogen sulfide in and around homes of Bristol, VA/TN residents during and at each stage of the implementation of the mitigation action plan in order to determine the impact of the various strategies to mitigate exposures.?? Aim 3:? Evaluate the impact of the landfill and the mitigation plan on odor detection, quality of life and stress of residents.? This time-sensitive research is critical to inform future landfill mitigation efforts as numerous communities across the country face challenges associated with municipal solid waste facilities.