Cleaning materials cause a stink in Watkins

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Cleaning supplies cause a stink in Watkins

At about 12:30 p.m. yesterday, a call was placed to the Public Safety office concerning a strong smell coming from Watkins Health Center.

Sergeant Gary Wieden of the KU Police Department said it was called in as a natural gas smell, but said he thought it might be a sewer gas leak.

Sharon Rohlmeier, administration associate senior at Watkins, described the smell as “very pervasive.”

“I was at my office and I could hear everyone in the office say ‘Do you smell that?’” Rohlmeier said. “Before we knew it they ordered us out of the building.”

Joe Hoelscher, division chief of the Lawrence Fire Department, said that after investigating the odor, the firemen on the scene had indications that it was sewer gas.

“Since there is no known source, we tend to err on safety,” Hoelscher said.

Mike Russell, director of environment, health and safety, was able to shed some light on what officials on the scene believe to have been the culprit behind the smell.

Armed with odor detectors known as “sniffers,” they determined that the sulfur-like smell was not at levels high enough to be considered hazardous or harmful, rather just a nuisance.

Russell said it appeared that some type of cleaning material used to clean bathrooms wasn’t fully diluted when properly flushed down the drain and had reacted with material inside the sewer system.

Russell said this kind of chemical reaction produced gas that could come back up through floor drains and sink drains, and could happen anywhere from campus buildings to homes.

“People need to be aware of their cleaning materials and that when they dispense with them to make sure they’re properly diluted,” Russell said.

Campus Facilities Operation workers aided in changing the building’s air handlers to push outside air indoors to vent out the smell.

Where your waste goes after it’s disposed

Follow the process your trash and recyclables go through after they’re tossed ...

/news/2009/mar/03/where_waste/

Hazmat false alarm elicits full emergency response

Even when a hazardous material call turns out to be nothing, KU ...

/news/2011/apr/18/hazmat-false-alarm-elicits-full-emergency-response/

Police, fire units respond to smoke smell ...

Firefighters searched Eaton Hall Tuesday evening after a smoke smell was reported.

/news/2011/mar/01/police-and-fire-respond-smoke-smell-eaton/

Hazmat team responds to odor in Learned ...

Halls are re-opening after a hazardous materials scare on campus.

/news/2011/jul/14/hazmat-team-responds-odor-learned-and-eaton-halls/

One-ply toilet paper rubs students the wrong ...

While the University leads Kansas schools in toilet paper consumption, some students ...

/news/2011/nov/08/one-ply-toilet-paper-rubs-students-wrong-way/

Malott Hall evacuated, reopened after reported chemical ...

The chemical smell was not unidentified but it dissipated enough for the ...

/news/2010/dec/06/malott-hall-evacuated-after-reported-chemical-smel/

Student ingests chemical in Malott Hall

Graduate student in critical condition after accidentally ingesting toxic chemical.

/news/2009/nov/06/student_chemical/

New ozone emissions standards to affect Douglas ...

EPA press release says national smog levels must be lower by March ...

/news/2008/jul/02/epa/

Dirty mouth: Water may not be clean

Traces of prescription medicines and over-the-counter drugs can be found in water ...

/news/2009/sep/14/tap_water/

Rid your home of unwanted prescription drugs

Students can take their unwanted drugs to Wescoe Beach Thursday for safe ...

/news/2011/apr/28/rid-your-home-unwanted-prescription-drugs/

University will pay more than $80,000 for ...

The University will also have to evaluate 301 laboratories as stipulation of ...

/news/2008/oct/03/EPA/

Students experience living on campus

Students should expect to make some adjustments to a new environment when ...

/news/2008/aug/04/dorms/

Unplugged

The crappy side of community living

/news/2008/oct/23/unplugged/

New "smart" alarms keeps Malott Hall safe

Students and professors in Malott Hall can work more safely, thanks to ...

/news/2006/aug/25/alarms/

Rain garden could save water

The garden provides a place for rainwater to permeate the ground rather ...

/news/2008/apr/16/rain_garden_could_save_water/

Malott evacuation caused by smell of overheating ...

A chemical smell was reported to KU Public Safety, but a malfunctioning ...

/news/2010/dec/07/malott-evacuation-caused-smell-overheating-fan-mot/

Malott Hall reopened after chemical spill

Malott Hall was evacuated Friday afternoon after a chemical spill on the ...

/news/2010/oct/29/malott-hall-evacuated-because-possible-chemical-sp/

Kansas in heat: Clean oral sex

Tackle the sticky world of relationships.

/news/2011/may/05/Contact-kansas-heat-clean-oral-sex/

Folmsbee: Homeopathy is nothing more than a ...

Science is not only unfounded, but is also dangerous.

/news/2010/feb/23/folmsbee-homeopathy/

Grad student aims for Olympics

Top-ranked Canadian javelin thrower studies at KU and continues working toward his ...

/news/2007/apr/24/track/

Letter to the Editor: Anti-smoking scare tactics ...

After reading the commentary piece by Cassie Gentry, I got a little ...

/news/2007/mar/05/lettertoeditor/

Watkins lab benefits from technology, employee experience

/news/2006/apr/26/labtechs/

The Hookup

Talk sex and relationship issues with our weekly advice columnist, Michelle MacBain.

/news/2012/feb/29/hookup/

Lawrence police officers help with a variety ...

A Kansan reporter rides along with local policemen to find what it’s ...

/news/2011/apr/03/lawrence-police-officers-/

Coping with different dialects

University and city deal with the language barrier.

/news/2009/sep/30/coping_different_dialects/

What's hiding in your cabinets?

Facts about expired medicine

/news/2008/may/08/whats_hiding_your_cabinets/

Potter lake dredging in the works

University icon is being cleaned up.

/news/2010/sep/08/potter-lake-dredging-works/

Sharing more than a room

The health risks of community living

/news/2008/dec/11/sharing_more_room/

Watson, Twente, Fraser halls vandalized

Anti-war messages were spray painted on campus buildings this week.

/news/2012/jan/20/vandal-graffitis-watson-twente-fraser-halls/

Fraser undergoing asbestos inspection

Precautionary signs are likely no cause for concern.

/news/2010/jun/24/fraser-undergoing-asbestos-inspection/

Many students not compliant with meningitis policy

/news/2005/sep/29/ne_meningitis/

Two students design rain garden at Zarco ...

The garden has native plants as part of its water conservation system ...

/news/2008/jun/05/two_students_design_rain_garden_zarco_gas_station/

Pushing for an environmentally-friendly campus

Ray Anderson, found of Interface, will speak at Woodruff Auditorium tonight at ...

/news/2008/mar/26/pushing_environmentallyfriendly_campus/

Gas station sells contaminated gas

Customers who pumped gas at the BP gas station, 3020 Iowa St., ...

/news/2008/jun/27/bad_gas/

Adderall addiction?

Students who abuse the stimulant love the high but hate the fall

/news/2008/dec/04/adderall_addiction/

Kansas graduate breaks Relays record in javelin

2002 Graduate, Scott Russell, had surprising showing at Kansas Relays.

/news/2011/apr/22/kansas-graduate-breaks-relays-record-javelin/

Malott evacuated after reported chemical smell

A chemical smell causes the building to be emptied of students.

/news/2011/nov/16/malott-evacuated/

Warm summer months bring more bug bites

For the upcoming holiday, students search for the best bug repellent as ...

/news/2008/jul/01/bugs/

That's disgusting

Neglecting your tongue

/news/2008/apr/24/s_disgusting/

University voices expectations for new Lawrence Police ...

The city hopes to announce its new police chief by the end ...

/news/2011/feb/17/university-expectations-new-chief/

Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.

Sign in to comment

Or login with:

OpenID