The strongly scented, volatile chemical compounds given off by growing cannabis plants may be contributing to poor air quality around cannabis cultivation facilities, according to a new study from researchers at the Desert Research Institute (DRI), supported by the Washoe County Health District (WCHD) in Nevada.
The study, published in the Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association, investigated airborne levels of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) around four cannabis growing facilities in Nevada. Researchers determined the level of BVOCs to be “concerning”, but said that further study would still be needed to properly assess whether these levels might be presenting any health risk to facility workers.
Cannabis plants produce ingredients for dangerous ground-level ozone
The BVOCs being produced by growing cannabis plants, predominantly terpenes like 𝛽-myrcene and D-limonene, are generally not considered dangerous to inhale. In fact, many consider it beneficial to human health — with some terpenes thought to boost emotional wellbeing in a similar way to aromatherapy.
However, in urban areas where cannabis facilities are common, these BVOCs can react with nitrogen oxide and hydroxyl radicals in vehicle or fuel combustion plant emissions to form ozone. Although ozone is helpful to the planet in the upper atmosphere, where it protects Earth from UV rays, at ground-level it presents a safety hazard to humans. Even at relatively low amounts, long-term ground-level ozone exposure can cause lung irritation, coughing and chest pain. For people with respiratory conditions such as asthma, ground-level ozone presents an even greater risk.
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