The plume of smoke rising from BioLab as seen from Old Covington Hwy continued on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024 in Conyers. A Sunday fire at the chemical plant in Conyers has had agencies monitoring the air quality since then as crews try to neutralize the site. Rockdale County officials said that the plume is changing colors as workers remove debris. GEMA has advised anyone who notices a chlorine odor in the air to limit their time outdoors. (John Spink/AJC)
Hazy skies and an odor of chlorine have persisted across parts of southeastern metro Atlanta since Sunday’s fire at the BioLab chemical plant in Rockdale County, and those conditions are expected to continue through the weekend.
The fire has been extinguished, but smoke continues to rise due to the pool chemicals produced at the plant reacting with the water that was used to contain the blaze. The fire initially sent a colossal wall of smoke into the sky.
What chemicals were released?
Chemicals released from the Conyers fire include chlorine, chloramine and chlorine compounds, according to the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency.
Additionally, bromine — another chemical used in spa and pool treatments as an alternative to chlorine and has a bleach-like odor — was also detected, though at lower levels.
How does this affect you?
While the shelter-in-place order in Rockdale County has been lifted, officials recommended that residents shelter in place from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. until Friday.
The Georgia Emergency Management Agency has advised anyone who notices a chlorine odor in the air to limit their time outdoors. Chlorine, however, has a low odor threshold, meaning people can smell it even at very low concentrations that do not cause harm, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
“For everyone sheltering in place, the best practice is to turn the air conditioning off and keep windows and doors shut,” officials instructed.
GEMA issued a public safety alert Monday afternoon that went out statewide but only affects people within a 50-mile radius of Rockdale County. The alert was issued on behalf of the state’s Environmental Protection Division and stated that “chemical levels are unlikely to cause harm to most people.”
Who are “most people?”
Those with underlying health conditions, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, should be especially careful to avoid exposure and pay attention to symptoms, according to Jeremy Sarnat, an associate professor at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health and member of a scientific committee that advises the EPA.
Additionally, those who are pregnant, children and the elderly, should limit their time outdoors.
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