Sharp Chlorine Smell

If you catch a strong chlorine or sharp chemical smell near an ice rink, treat it as a warning and move away immediately. EPA guidance for ice rinks says ammonia refrigeration systems can leak and that staff should recognize ammonia’s pungent odor as a possible sign of a release, while EPA’s ice-arena air guidance also notes that fuel-fired resurfacers can foul rink air with carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide. An ammonia leak can burn the eyes, nose, and throat and, at higher concentrations, cause severe breathing problems and pulmonary edema. If you are downhill or in the path of a visible vapor cloud, get crosswind or upwind and farther away fast, then call emergency services.

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