The department said late on Wednesday: “The stench is likely a combination of elevated levels of sulphur dioxide and hydrogen sulphide.” Sulphur dioxide is a potentially toxic gas often associated with volcanic eruptions, and there are no active volcanoes in the area. Hydrogen sulphide is highly toxic. The former emits the smell of burnt matches, the latter’s is akin to rotten eggs. Mix the two and you get a putrid stench.
Air quality monitoring had revealed that while the levels were elevated, they “remained in compliance with ambient standards in Johannesburg, Pretoria and Mpumalanga”. It also noted that “sulphur ambient air quality standard limits as set by the government” had not been exceeded.
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