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' Human Sniffers' Confirm Complaints Over Factory Odours: Thailand


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'Human sniffers' confirm complaints over factory odours

JANJIRA PONGRAI

THE NATION

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NAKHON PATHOM: -- With their specialised abilities becoming officially recognised in Thailand last year, "human sniffers" yesterday confirmed that the foul odours from an animal-feed factory in Nakhon Pathom have exceeded acceptable limits.

The tests were conducted after the abbot of the neighbouring Or Noi Temple erected a sign saying that his monastery is "for sale" because the bad smell from the factory had become unbearable. The high-profile case has also put the spotlight on "human sniffers".

The Pollution Control Department (PCD) searched for the keen-nosed experts for the first time last year. Of 500 tested, just 124 have sailed through and become registered. Their licences as qualified olfactory experts are valid for one year, after which they have to undergo another round of tough testing.

When they are called for duty, the sniffers work in a special laboratory set up by the PCD in middle of last year.

PCD officials collect air samples from specific sites and bring them to the lab for testing. Six human sniffers are used for each case and yesterday's case was the one surrounding the Or Noi Temple.

Officials at the lab have tested the readiness of registered human sniffers before it allows them to inhale the air samples from three-litre bags.

Human sniffers check the air samples as they are at the site where they are collected. They also check the air samples that have been diluted by 10 times, 30 times, 100 times, 1,000 times, 10,000 times, etc.

"We have proceeded in line with procedures used by the United States and Japan," a lab official said.

From the yesterday's sensory test, the sniffers confirmed that the odour from RT Agri Tech Co Ltd animal-feed plant and nearby areas is indeed unpleasant and not acceptable.

Or Noi Temple is located near the factory.

Locals praised the move by the temple's abbot, Luang Puu Buddha Isara, to publicly bring attention to their plight.

"It's good that Luang Puu put up the 'temple for sale' board. The problem from the factory should be publicly exposed, otherwise the public won't know and we will continue to suffer," Sayan Huaihongthong, 48, said.

He said he, his wife, and their three children also have skin rashes, likely caused by the factory.

The factory has installed anti-pollution systems, officials found, but while the systems significantly eased the severity of the problems, the bad smell and dust particles are still problematic.

Tambon Huai Khwang Administrative Organisation's chairman Adulkitti Wuttapanich said the factory's management promised a quick solution to the problem.

"They have asked for just one more week of operations, which they need to produce products for orders they have already accepted. After that, they will suspend operations pending the improvement of the treatment systems," he said.

Sampao Nintako, a 60-year-old neighbour, said if the factory could solve the problem, it should relocate.

"The smell is really bad in winter. During rainy season, foul-smelling wastewater from the factory floods my house. Even after I wash my feet, the bad smell stays. We are really in trouble," she said.

Luang Puu Buddha Issara said he did not want to fight but felt compelled to do something to help locals as well as monks and novice monks at his temple.

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-- The Nation 2013-01-23

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They are "licensed" and undergo a round of "tough testing." Who believes the sincerity of these remarks? Everyone knows that Thai licensing and testing is a corrupted process. Can you imagine the graft, bribery, and corruption in this trade known as "sniffers?" Everyone knows that Thailand is a fraud. These kind of remarks designed to reinforce the notion that Thailand plays hardball on a scale with the US and Japan is preposterous.

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The dog and I are certified sniffers, we practice daily sniffing ares just so we do not forget what $#1T smells like. We are also certified and can cause you lots of problems, our fee is 14,000 Baht to not cause you a problem.

Edited by Phuket Stu
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The dog and I are certified sniffers, we practice daily sniffing ares just so we do not forget what $#1T smells like. We are also certified and can cause you lots of problems, our fee is 14,000 Baht to not cause you a problem.

This dog is more refined in his taste.smile.png

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What would be the result, accuracy of the sniffers and what will be the fines imposed (if any)? How does this compare to people being there who have to work amongst the putrid fumes and what affect is there on their health? Seems to me a useless exercise as well as being expensive and then it will come down to who pays bribes for the problem to go away so let's not make anything out of this other than what it really is - an opportunity for more graft.

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What would be the result, accuracy of the sniffers and what will be the fines imposed (if any)? How does this compare to people being there who have to work amongst the putrid fumes and what affect is there on their health? Seems to me a useless exercise as well as being expensive and then it will come down to who pays bribes for the problem to go away so let's not make anything out of this other than what it really is - an opportunity for more graft.

Believe it or not, this is an internationally accepted way to test. Take a sample, give it to 3 or 4 trained testers to sniff, record what they smell.

The locals aren't as placid as they used to be. Complaints are very frequent.

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The dog and I are certified sniffers, we practice daily sniffing ares just so we do not forget what $#1T smells like. We are also certified and can cause you lots of problems, our fee is 14,000 Baht to not cause you a problem.

This dog is more refined in his taste.smile.png

post-9891-0-07845400-1358912256_thumb.jp

ha ha ha ....I remember what that dog was sniffing.
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And if any dam_n newspaper would name the factory, i would call them and sell them a solution.

RT Agri Tech Co Ltd animal-feed plant

Thanks for the info

was just in the article by the way

this from some site ,, RT AgriTech CO.,LTD.

สำนักงาน และโรงงาน : 45 หมู่ที่ 11 มาลัยแมน ห้วยขวาง กำแพงแสน นครปฐม 73140

โทรศัพท์ 034-2189123 โทรสาร -

ผลิตภัณฑ์ที่จำหน่าย

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So let me get this straight. They actually paid these sniffers to confirm that the odors were foul smelling coming from the factory? Could they not have saved some money and had the county or state officials do the same and save some money? Maybe it is because the public officials are so full of shit they are unable to detect foul odors?

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Factory odour unacceptable, PCD says

Jutharat Thipnampa, The Nation

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NAKHON PATHOM: -- The foul odours from an animal-feed factory in Nakhon Pathom exceed acceptable limits by up to 10 times, Pollution Control Department director-general Wichien Jungrungruang said yesterday.

"PCD found that the foul odours released from the smokestacks of RT Agri Tech Co Ltd were two to 10 times higher than the standard limit at a maximum of 300 units," he said. "The odours collected from the factory's compound were six to nine times higher than the standard limit at the maximum 15 units."

The odour from the first smokestack was 977 units, second stack 548 units and the third 3,090 units. Test results from the fourth and fifth stacks were not yet complete. The odour from the first site of the compound was 97 units and from the second site was 130 units.

The PCD collected air samples from seven specific sites of the factory and brought them to the lab for testing. Six so-called "human sniffers" - qualified odour experts - were used to test the odours within 24 hours after the samples were collected.

The PCD will inform the Department of Industrial Works and the Tambon Huai Khwang Administrative Organisation to take action against RT Agri Tech, Wichien said.

The factory's owner has asked for 30 to 45 days to finish a production run before closing to make improvements.

Last year, the PCD received 460 pollution complaints, 302 of them about bad odours, the highest number of all kinds of complaints.

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-- The Nation 2013-01-24

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ENVIRONMENT

Polluting animal-feed factory suspends production

KAMPANART KHANTRAKUL

The Nation

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NAKHON PATHOM: -- RT Agri Tech Co, an animal-feed factory in Nakhon Pathom's Khamphaeng Saen district, yesterday decided to halt production for one month after it was found by the Pollution Control Department, earlier this week, to be emitting foul odour 10 times beyond the acceptable limits.

Tambon Huai Khwang Administrative Organisation president Adulkitti Wutthapanich and Nakhon Pathom Governor Wanchat Wongchaichana yesterday inspected the factory to find solutions for the foul smell and dust that disturbed a nearby temple and the local community.

Adulkitti said his office, after learning about the PCD findings, asked the factory to stop its production. The factory owner agreed to do so taking into account the feelings of the temple and the local community. The factory owner had earlier requested for some time to exhaust the stock of materials and orders before closing to make improvements.

He said the closure of the factory since 6am yesterday would affect its business as it wouldn't be able to deliver goods to customers, which could lead to fines or make its customers turn to its competitors. He said the factory would suspend production for one month before resuming.

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-- The Nation 2013-01-25

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