Compost fumes caused big stink
Freshly delivered mushroom compost at a Carterton resident’s property has been found to be the likely cause of mass illness at two Wairarapa schools.
More than 100 students and teachers were put through a Fire and Emergency-led decontamination process, after several children began feeling nauseous on Friday afternoon.
Ten children were taken to Wairarapa Hospital in Masterton in a moderate condition and were later discharged.
After hearing about the incident on Friday, Illya McLellan – whose property backs on to South End School – feared his compost was to blame for the sickness.
‘‘When I got home on Friday night I thought to myself: oh my goodness, it might have been that compost that they smelled; and then I was like: surely not.
‘‘Someone had told me that it had all kicked off on the field down there and then I was like: it can’t have been the compost.
‘‘But then I was informed by the police that it was just this area straight through the fence from the compost where most of the kids said they had smelt something, so it doesn’t take a genius to work that out, does it?’’
McLellan’s daughter was at school on Friday and involved in the decontamination process.
On Monday, Wairarapa area commander Inspector Scott Miller confirmed the fresh mushroom compost was the likely cause, putting to bed an early theory that a top-dressing plane had dumped a substance on the school. ‘‘That compost was fresh and was actually hot. Part of the process for compost is to heat it to 80 degrees Celsius. When that occurs with the other manufacturing processes within, that compost creates a sulphur smell.
‘‘That sulphur smell can be very strong,’’ Miller said.
The compost was delivered between 1pm and 1.15pm on Friday which is when the first children started feeling sick and most children who were sick were near where the compost was, Miller said.
Any ongoing effects for the children would be unlikely, he said. Medical experts said inhaling of the sulphur was likely to have caused the illness, which presented itself as dizziness, nausea and headaches.
‘‘We’ve been advised that the children’s symptoms are consistent with inhaling compost fumes and long-term side-effects are extremely unlikely. The compost has now been spread in a thin layer so there are no ongoing safety concerns.’’
The smell was described as smelling like rotting pig flesh and rotten eggs.
Parent Jules Austin had two children at school on Friday – one required isolation and treatment.
‘‘It was a scary scenario when Grace had to go to hospital but it was dealt with the best they could.’’ Grace said the whole experience was strange and she won’t easily forget it.
‘‘We were playing and the plane went over and it started smelling like fertiliser mixed like chemicals and things.
‘‘We went back to class after the bell had rung and we all started to feel quite sick,’’ Grace said. She did not enjoy the cold showers and decontamination suits they had to wear.
Police were working with the compost manufacturer to put safety processes in place, Miller said. ‘‘I’m pleased we could provide a resolution so quickly to help ensure the safety of our young people.’’