Source of unpleasant smell in Novomoskovsk associated with the work of “Procter & Gamble”

Hydrogen sulphide exceedance

In the hands of the editorial office of "MK in Tula" got the materials of the inspection, which was conducted by employees of the Prioksky interregional management of Rosprirodnadzor in April 2026. In the field of attention of the supervisory authority entered the company "Procter and Gamble-Novomoskovsk". The reason was repeated excesses of the maximum permissible concentration (MPC) of hydrogen sulfide, recorded at the signal post monitoring atmospheric air at the address Victory Avenue, 4.

Growth in indicators of hydrogen sulfide was recorded on 5, 19 and 25 February, as well as 8 and 10 March 2026. Information about this was transferred to Prioksky Rosprirodnadzor by the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Ecology of the Tula region on the basis of data from the State Enterprise “Nature”. After analyzing the register of objects of negative impact on the environment, the agency found that hydrogen sulphide is present at the NVOS No. 70-0171-001417-P facility, which operates the plant.

The company eventually received a warning, the companies proposed to no longer allow emissions of pollutants exceeding the MPC. The inspection was carried out by the deputy head of the territorial body Konstantin Ermolov and specialist Nikita Chebotayev.

Recall, as previously wrote “MK in Tula”, this is not the first case when residents of the city complain of chemical odors and excess of harmful substances in the air. For several years in a row, Novomoskovsk has been included in the list of Russian cities with a very high level of air pollution, according to Roshydromet. The main “culprits” were formaldehyde and ammonia: only in 2024, single samples exceeded the norm for formaldehyde 69 times.

Interesting fact, the smell of hydrogen sulfide also periodically “pop up” in Novomoskovsk. In January 2026, residents again massively complained about the smell of rotten eggs, and the monitoring post recorded a single exceedance of the MPC. Then the governor of the Tula region Dmitry Milyaev said that the situation is kept under control by Rospotrebnadzor and regional authorities. What was the reason for all these emissions complaints from a well-known chemical company?

Past scandals

Tula media has repeatedly covered such scandals. For example, in 2013-2014, the Procter & Gamble plant itself also attracted the attention of the Tula prosecutor’s office due to excesses in nitrogen dioxide and sulfur anhydride, as well as complaints about “powder stench”.

As wrote in 2014, the website of the publication “Tula press”, the complaints of residents then responded to the Deputy of the Assembly of deputies of the Ministry of Defense of the Tula region from the party “Rodina” Dmitry Shatrov, he sent a letter to the leadership of LLC “Procter and Gamble – Novomoskovsk”. In his letter, the MP asked for explanations from the company that produces synthetic detergents, the obsessive smell of which haunted the Novomoskovites. In its response, Procter & Gamble – Novomoskovsk LLC said that it “seriously takes the signals of residents regarding the emerging “smell of powder fragrance”.

In addition, in 2022-2023, Eurosintez LLC was under supervision, which worked for more than a year without a permit for emissions of hazardous substances.

In 2025-2026, the environmental prosecutor’s office inspected several enterprises of Novomoskovsk (Compound, Knauf Gyps, FM Rus, Novomoskovskogneupor and others) after mass complaints about chemical odors. After that, the court even suspended the activities of Compound for 90 days.

Despite dozens of visits to mobile laboratories, exceeding the MPC is relatively rare, and the specific source of odors often remains unknown. In the meantime, residents of the Tula region continue to write to the governor and in social networks: “it is impossible to open windows again.”.

MK in Tula is monitoring developments.