Living with Stink: Silicon Valley and Cities Deploy Tech to Fight Odors
Milpitas in California and Des Moines in Iowa are deploying drones, chemical sensors, and electronic noses to systematically track and eliminate industrial odors.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Milpitas in Silicon Valley has suffered from foul odors from a 342-acre landfill for decades
- Local authorities ordered the Newby Island landfill operator to use drones and chemical monitors
- Des Moines, Iowa spends about $240,000 annually on odor-tracking technology and weather stations
- Top odor-control tech absorbs, chemically converts, or incinerates over 90% of target compounds
Residents in Milpitas, an affluent city in California's Silicon Valley tech hub, have long endured foul odors wafting from industrial sites, notably a massive 342-acre landfill. Chia-Ling Kong, a tech firm engineer living about half a mile from the dump, recalls that when she first moved there, she could not open her window for over 10 years. Although conditions have improved recently, Kong notes that she and her neighbors still face around two to three hours of bad smells every day.
To combat this persistent issue, local authorities have ordered the operators of the Newby Island landfill to deploy drones and install monitors to systematically track and measure the offending chemicals, alongside automating landfill gas collection. Kong remains optimistic that this data-driven approach will help pinpoint problems the moment they arise. Meanwhile, the landfill operators maintain their commitment to safe operations and air quality protection.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Communities worldwide face similar battles against unpleasant odors disrupting daily life, whether originating from rubbish dumps, sewage treatment works, or factories. Resolving these complaints is rarely simple, as many countries lack specific regulations governing odor management. In the United States, for example, the Environmental Protection Agency does not regulate environmental odors as pollutants, leaving the responsibility to state and local governments. Urban sprawl often exacerbates the problem by drawing residential areas closer to historically distant stinky facilities, driving up demand for monitoring and prevention technologies.
Technologies used to tackle industrial odors generally fall into three categories: absorbing smells, converting them via chemical reactions, or burning them away. Industry experts state that the best technologies can remove 90% or more of the target compounds. However, high costs lead some operators to choose simpler solutions, such as spraying massive quantities of deodorizers. Carlos Diaz, a Spain-based environmental consultant, explains that landfills are particularly difficult to treat due to their vast surface areas.
"Unfortunately, the general rule is that the nastier we perceive the odour to be, the more sensitive towards it we are."
Johan Lundström, professor in the science of smell at the Karolinska Institute
Environmental odors from landfills and industrial sites pose significant challenges to community well-being and mental health. Integrating modern technologies such as drones, chemical sensors, and real-time meteorological data collection represents a major shift from subjective complaints to evidence-based environmental regulation and accountability.
In Des Moines, Iowa, city authorities are spending approximately $240,000 or £182,000 a year on technology to track a putrid scent known locally as the Eastside Funk. A commissioned study identified three industrial meat companies as culprits. Officials deployed a ring of odor monitors combined with weather stations to measure chemical concentrations based on wind patterns. Smithfield Foods, a local meat processor, reported investing $2 million in a thermal oxidizer to destroy odor chemicals, though the company denies being the source of the complaints.
Source: BBC Science & Environment
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