Evaluation of the odor impact of some environmental gaseous pollutants: calibration of the methodology and preliminary results

Abstract

During the last decades, it has been observed a growing interest on odor impact because of the frequenter social acceptability problems about energy plants handling and processing stored organic materials (e.g., biogas plants, landfills, farms, distilleries, etc.). In this context, the UNI EN 13725:2004 indicates the "dynamic olfactometry method" as validated, recognized, and adequate measurement procedure for estimating the odor concentration. This protocol is carried out by a panel of specifically trained and selected human receptors, but alternative analytical methodologies are currently under discussion. This work aims to describe the initial steps of a wider research toward the definition of a new analytical protocol for monitoring odor concentration. The alternative methodology is here presented through the implementation of a case study: stored organic materials exploited on an energy plant in Central Italy. The paper describes the preliminary activities related to the survey of the case study (i), the definition of alternative methods and devices for conducting emissions sampling (ii), and the adopted experimental approach (iii). Finally, preliminary results are also presented (iv). The resulting protocol, once validated, could be employed by local authorities to measure both the odor impacts and the effectiveness of specifically designed mitigation strategies.