Abstract
For over a year, residents of Bristol, Tennessee (TN) and Virginia (VA) have experienced significant exposure
to landfill emissions including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as benzene, toluene, and hydrogen
sulfide. Ambient levels of these air toxics have been measured by the EPA and the Virginia Department of
Environmental Quality. Based on the concentrations found during these sampling events, a Plan of Action was
released on July 6, 2022 to begin incremental steps towards mitigating the air toxics emanating from the
landfill. This Plan of Action presents a critical opportunity to measure the impact of this environmental policy to
improve air quality and reduce odors. Since October 2021, Haynes (PI) has been developing a community-
academic research partnership with Bristol residents to identify research strategies to identify their indoor and
outdoor exposures and potential health impacts. The residents have reported their experiences as “an endless
nightmare,” with “non-stop odor that stays in the house,” and “its hard to breathe.” Given our partnership with
the City Manager and community residents, we are poised to evaluate the impacts of an environmental
policy to reduce air toxics and odors and evaluate the potential long-term health consequences related to these
exposures. We propose these highly time-sensitive specific aims: Aim 1: Characterize indoor and outdoor
concentrations of VOCs, including benzene and hydrogen sulfide in and around homes of Bristol, VA/TN
residents prior to the implementation of the mitigation action plan. Aim 2: Characterize indoor and outdoor
concentrations of VOCs and hydrogen sulfide in and around homes of Bristol, VA/TN residents after each
stage of the mitigation action plan in order to determine the impact of the various strategies to mitigate
exposures. Aim 3: Evaluate the impact of the landfill and the mitigation plan on odor detection, quality of life,
and stress of residents. This time-sensitive research is critical to inform future landfill mitigation efforts as
numerous communities across the country face challenges associated with municipal solid waste facilities.
