The Odor Management Blog

Odor impact assessment

  

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ODOR IMPACT STUDIES

Applications:

• Verification of facility compliance with current regulations
• Estimation of level of abatement required to eliminate odor problem
• Knowledge required to identify and choose the best reduction approach possible

Modeling atmospheric dispersion of odors allows us to forecast impacts and olfactory nuisance factors associated with the odor sources under study.

This impact is quantified using atmospheric dispersion models such as AERMOD, CALPUFF, and TROPOS; the choice of model depends on a variety of factors (type of source under study, site topography, required level of result precision, or type of atmospheric contaminant under study).

The classic atmospheric dispersion models for contaminants do not allow sufficient simulation of atmospheric dispersion of odor. For this reason, Odotech performs simulations of atmospheric dispersion of odors using mathematical models specific to odors.

Our odor impact studies are designed and carried out according to a scientific method similar to that of impact studies conducted to study air quality. Using techniques and tools specific to odor, the odor impact study provides the information needed to assess and examine the impact of a project with respect to odor emissions. Its purpose is to help satisfy current regulatory requirements.

Controlling odor nuisance with electronic nose: 3 good reasons

  

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1.Emission rates are extremely variable for some sources (a large number of distinct samples would be needed to have a clear picture of the variations), an e-Nose can:

-Provide a tool to track fluctuations and trends;

-Allow for immediate reaction and pro-active actions;

-Improve understanding;

-Focused efforts towards the real issues… reduced odour management costs.

Tracking Real-time Odours

2. Real time modelling will present the current situation:

-Which periods and conditions are putting the facility at risk;

-Enables activity planning (i.e. first phase windrow turning, screening…);  

-Ensure odour events are minimized ;

-Allows for production increases in optimal periods.

3.System can be programmed with alert points:

-Monitoring of odour concentration at a nose/source or modelled off site odours at specific points;  

-Operator is actively informed (alert);

-Neutralizers could be activated, additional aeration (or closure of a fan), startup of a treatment system, etc.; 

-Leads to reduced operational cost and rapid response.

Testimonial

“Allowed us to rank odour sources and to set up corrective actions”

“Good correlation between the complaints and the system’s data”

“The real time plume allows for visualisation of our odour impact at all times, more useful and relevant than met tower info” 

“My monthly survey can be correlated with the Odowatch information”

“Odour events are avoided by planning around unfavourable conditions”

Community odor concerns, how to respond objectively

  

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You would like to respond objectively to odor concerns? 

In our last blog, we have shown you how to respond objectively to odor concerns using audits, odor diagnosis, impact study and odor observer committee. 

Odor issues are never the same from one industry to the next, but depend upon sectoral functions and varying priorities there is always a way to monitor odor emissions.

OdoScan let you monitor the impact of odor emissions of your industrial site or facility in real time! OdoScan is easy to implement, reliable, incorporating the EPA Aermod dispersion model, it is a site operator’s dream come true.

If you have ever had an odor assessment done, you know the budget it represents. And how many weeks or months it can take for you to get the results. OdoScan gives you the equivalent results in 4 or 5 minutes. And more accurately, too, because OdoScan has its own weather station, as opposed to an assessment working with 5-year area weather averages. Operating 24/7, OdoScan delivers the visuals and data of at least 288 odor assessments each day! 

Since odor issues are never the same from an industry to another, you might be in need of a continuous odor monitoring system using eNoses.

OdoWatch, offers 24/7 odor measurement with eNoses, realtime odor plume dispersion modeling & automatic odor alerts. OdoWatch allows you to:

• Right-size odor abatement equipment

• Set odor management priorities

• Reduce odor neutralizer volume

• Save on investigations and government reporting

• Facilitate community relations

• Ensure site Certificate of Approval & Permit compliance

• Reduce documentation cost

• Eliminate current onsite sampling & measurement campaigns

• Prove good corporate citizenship

• Shield yourself against false claims & accusations

• Optimize CAPEX

• Save on OPEX – time, energy & chemicals

   

  

    

Odor complaints, how to respond objectively

  

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You would like to respond objectively to odor complaints? Here is how to do it!

Several solutions are available to you, but the first stage must be a preliminary audit conducted by an engineer/odor expert. The object of the audit is to validate the parameters associated with regulatory documents, complaints or issues at stake. During the course of this audit, the following parameters will be identified, quantified and analyzed:

• Fugitive/channeled emissions

• Waste parameters such as stack height, emission rates, diameter, flow rates, etc.

• Mapping complaints

• Number and frequency of complaints

  
  

              

Our odor experts will develop an odor diagnosis on the basis of these parameters (sampling odors directly at the source, followed by olfactory measurement in the laboratory) and an impact study that will provide you with a clear, accurate image of the odor impact of your activity. 

If you wish to pursue this further, within the framework of an odor nuisance management plan, our teams can establish an Odor Observer Committee. The participation of the residents in characterizing the odors around the site will create greater involvement of the community in the main aspects of the project and improve understanding and quantification of the odor issue. This also supports the emergence of constructive and cooperative dialogue between site managers and neighbors.

How to monitor odor 24h/24 with electronic nose? Visit us at WEFTEC

  

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Come and join us at Booth 2525 South Hall during the 2011 WEFTEC edition this coming week!

Odotech will partner with Kruger at WEFTEC 2011 edition . Come and see the latest version of OdoWatch with the new added functions and lessons learned from existing users. Also on display, our new H2S monitor, OdoSulf, which has the lowest detection threshold on the market for hydrogen sulfide monitoring.  We will illustrate their effectiveness by presenting actual case studies.

WEFTEC, the Water Environment Federation’s Annual Technical Exhibition and Conference, is the largest conference of its kind in North America and offers water quality professionals from around the world with the best water quality education and training available today. Also recognized as the largest annual water quality exhibition in the world, the expansive show floor provides unparalleled access to the most cutting-edge technologies in the field, serves as a forum for domestic and international business opportunities, and promotes invaluable peer-to-peer networking between its more than 20,000 attendees.

Virginia Beach Reduces Odor & Chemical Costs with eNoses

  

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A recent study shows that OdoWatch is an effective technology to help reduce odors at wastewater treatment plants. People who live near the Chesapeake-Elizabeth wastewater treatment plant in southeast Virginia can thank HRSD for their proactive approach to address odors and commitment for improving their quality of life with state-of-art odor monitoring sensors. 

This test of OdoWatch technology was significant since HRSD is a large regional waste water treatment utility. The plant is 24 MGD design capacity and operates anywhere from 12-18MGD. Other municipalities may want to take note and consider how OdoWatch technology might help them save money while better serving their customers.

OdoWatch technology allows wastewater treatment employees to better assess the need to use chemicals to prevent odors from escaping. By monitoring the escaping odors, it also allows chemicals to be added more scientifically and only when really needed.

Mark Feltner, an HRSD environmental scientist, organized the recent study of the effectiveness of OdoWatch.  He and his colleagues conducted the study by observing the effectiveness of OdoWatch at the HRSD regional waste water treatment utility.  The study concluded that the utility was able to reduce chemical use by up to 10%, while reducing odor at the same time.  Chemicals are a significant part of the cost of all water treatment. So, fewer chemicals mean greater savings. Astoundingly, even with this reduction of chemical use, the odors emitted were less than when the utility was using more chemicals.  

In assessing the importance of this study, Feltner concluded that, "By using the OdoWatch technology, we can assure our neighbors and rate payers that we are doing everything possible to reduce the potential for off-site odors while operating our plants as efficiently as possible."  

Since citizens pay for the waste treatment process, they are concerned about costs as well as about quality.  Everyone benefits by running our water treatment plants more efficiently.  

Odotech will partner with Kruger at WEFTEC 2011 edition . Come and see the latest version of OdoWatch with the new added functions. Also on display, our new H2S monitor, OdoSulf, which has the lowest detection threshold on the market.  We will illustrate their effectiveness by presenting actual case studies.

Come and join us at Booth 2525!

3 common problems with the sense of smell

  

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We are honoured to present you a special blog edition written by our guest author Dr. Johannes Frasnelli.

Dr. Frasnelli specialises in odor perception. He conducts research in the field of neurophysiology of smell and taste as well as therapy in loss of the chemical senses.

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When someone is unable to see we call him blind; if someone is not able to hear sounds, we describe him as deaf. There is an analogous situation for the sense of smell: the complete absence of the sense of smell is called anosmia, whereas a reduced function of the sense of smell is called hyposmia.

Both anosmia and hyposmia are found relatively often. Researchers estimate that 5% of the population of western countries do not perceive any smells. This means that one person out of 20 is not able to smell; these persons are therefore considered anosmic. The numbers for hyposmia are even more impressive; up to 15% of the population have a reduced perception of smells. Therefore, one person in five has either a reduced sense of smell or does not smell anything at all. These numbers are considerably higher than those of blind or deaf persons – but of course anosmia and hyposmia have less devastating effects on the life of the affected persons.

But also persons with anosmia and hyposmia suffer from their condition. They have more depression symptoms and exhibit a reduced quality of life compared to people with a normal sense of smell. Amongst the typical problems people with anosmia or hyposmia describe to have is that they cannot appreciate food, they do not perceive the smell of a loved one, such as their partner or child, and others.

Qualitative olfactory dysfunctions are special forms of smell problems. Here people can perceive smells, but they perceive smells different from what they are supposed to smell like. For example, they can perceive flowers to have a burnt smell. This condition is called parosmia. In addition, some people perceive smells although there is no smell source, sometimes all the time. For example, some people constantly perceive a foul, rotten smell. This condition is called phantosmia. Both parosmia and phantosmia can be very disturbing and affect quality of life considerably.

Of course persons with a reduced sense of smell are running higher risks to be exposed to dangers, since the sense of smell has warning functions. For example, persons with a smell loss would not perceive if food is spoiled. Therefore it is very important for them to pay attention when storing food and to obey the expiration dates of food. If in doubt they should either ask someone else to smell the food or, in order not to run any risk, throw it away. People with anosmia should also consider that they do not perceive the smell of smoke or household gas. They have therefore to be especially careful when dealing with situations in which a fire may be burning or gas may be leaking.

There are different reasons why people can lose their sense of smell. The most important causes of a loss of smell function are different kinds of nasal problems such as nasal polyposis or chronic rhino-sinusitis. Although we do not know the exact mechanisms it is likely that the ongoing inflammation of the nasal mucosa in nasal polyposis and rhino-sinusitis affects the smell receptors in the upper part of the nasal cavity.

Next, there are two other, equally common, causes of a smell loss. The sense of smell may be lost as a consequence of a viral infection such as the flu; the specialists call this postviral anosmia/ hyposmia. This does not refer to a common cold; we all have experienced a common cold during which the nose is blocked, and with a blocked it is impossible to smell. However, in the case of a postviral anosmia/ hyposmia the loss of smell function persists even after the viral infection has healed. Interestingly, postviral anosmia/ hyposmia affect mainly women above the age of 50; we do not know why.

Smell function may also be lost as the consequence of an accident with traumatic brain injury (posttraumatic anosmia/ hyposmia). Although severe accidents are more likely to cause smell loss, even a concussion with no other long term effect may be enough to cause anosmia or hyposmia.

Other, less likely causes of smell loss include brain tumours or exposure to toxic substances. In many cases no apparent cause for the smell loss can be determined (idiopathic anosmia/ hyposmia). Up to 1% of all persons who can’t smell are born without a sense of smell and have never smelled in their life (congenital anosmia). Also, most of the persons suffering from neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease or Alzheimer’s disease have an impaired sense of smell.

There is hope for those who have lost their ability to smell. We know that the sense of smell can return, even after as long as several years. People with postviral anosmia/ hyposmia have been described to have a chance of 30% that their sense of smell will improve over one year. This percentage is lower, in the range of 10% for those who have lost their sense of smell after an accident.

IMPORTANT: The medical clarification of a smell loss has to be performed by a medical specialist such an ENT (ear-nose-throat) specialist or a neurologist. Diagnostic tools include a thorough medical history, nasal endoscopy and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Links:

http://ucdenver.edu/academics/colleges/medicalschool/centers/tastesmell/Pages/tastesmell.aspx

http://www.vcu.edu/ent/ent_clinic_smell_taste.htm

http://www.tasteandsmell.com/

http://personal.ecu.edu/wuenschk/anosmia.htm

en français:

http://www.hcuge.ch/~infotec/rhino/index.htm