Scent of a threatResolving mystery odor alarms

In May, more than 1,000 people were evacuated from Terminal 2 at the Fort Lauderdale airport.  The evacuation was caused after a strong odor was detected near the security checkpoint.  Three Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees and two travelers were overcome by the fumes and taken to a nearby hospital.

Part of the terminal remained evacuated for approximately two hours as local fire departments and DHS responded to the scene.  People evacuated from the area stated that the odor had a gas-like smell, but by the time hazardous materials teams were able to sample the air, nothing out of the ordinary was found.  The incident caused a number of departing flights to be delayed.

Cinnaminson, New Jersey-based EMSL Analytical says that mystery odors issues, like what occurred at the Fort Lauderdale airport, happen on a much more frequent basis than many people believe.  They can be caused by a wide range of sources that can occur both within a building or infiltrate a structure from an outside source.

As in the Florida case, if air samples cannot be taken quickly enough, the mystery odor may dissipate to such a low level as to be inconclusive or undetectable.  One way to overcome this in places that have recurring mystery odors is to have sampling equipment on hand and staff trained quickly to take an air sample.

Joe Frasca, senior vice president for marketing at EMSL Analytical says, “Mystery odors are at times easily identified.  More often than not it can be a real challenge to pinpoint and frequently requires air sampling to determine its source and to be able to rectify the problem.  Air sampling will identify what is in the air as some odors may not be hazardous to people’s health, but others can cause everything from short to long term health concerns.”

Watch an EMSL-sponsored an educational video about mystery odors.