Air quality impacted by emissions from cannabis growing facilities
- Breathe Free USA
- Sep 27, 2020
- 1 min read
Updated: 7 days ago
Cannabis grows emit butane and biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs)
In this pilot study, scientists studied four cannabis grow facilities in Nevada and California to learn what chemicals were emitted during cultivation and processing of cannabis plants. In all four locations the scientists found high levels of strongly-scented airborne chemicals called biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs). These are naturally produced by the cannabis plants during growth and reproduction. Where cannabis oil extraction took place, researchers also found very high levels of butane, a volatile organic compound (VOC) that is used during the oil extraction process. "The concentrations of BVOCs and butane that we measured inside of these facilities were high enough to be concerning,”
Additionally, "the results show that the BVOCs emitted by each cannabis plant could trigger the formation of ground-level (bad) ozone at a rate of approximately 2.6g per plant per day." Ground-level ozone is "a toxic substance that is harmful for humans to breathe. Ozone can be formed when volatile organic compounds (including those from plants, automobile, and industrial sources) combine with nitrogen oxide emissions (often from vehicles or fuel combustion) in the presence of sunlight."
Article: Emissions from cannabis growing facilities may impact indoor and regional air quality
Authored by the Desert Research Institute
