We have developed and tested our proprietary technology
for the estimation, control and analysis of the odour impact of production processes.
Odour monitoring is an activity required by the competent authorities as part of industrial plant authorisation procedures.
Odours may be released by inorganic gaseous compounds or by highly volatile organic compounds.
ANALYSIS OF ODOUR IMPACT IN THE WIDER AREA
Our activity to characterise and assess the odour impact of odour emissions in the surrounding area follows a specific sequence
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characterisation of atmospheric turbulence by study of wind data and micro-meteorological parameters supplied by standard monitoring network stations
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identification of the odour emission sources at the industrial site analysed
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study of odour dispersion in the atmosphere by means of mathematical simulation models
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identification of sensitive receptors
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identification of the points outside the industrial site in order to identify the background odour
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execution of the odour monitoring plan designed to determine and characterise odour impact compounds released at the site
INCLUDES
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collection of air samples near the identified emission sources
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collection of air samples near sensitive receptors
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performance of delayed odour analysis and of chemical tests on air samples collected in accordance with standard UNI EN 13725:2004
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identification of the compounds most responsible for odour impact
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search for correlations between odour concentrations and the chemical concentration of the odour-emitting substances present in the gaseous samples
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odour analysis, performed with portable olfactometers, of the air present at the immission points
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measurement of the odour concentrations present at the immission points in order to establish the environmental baseline at the site under investigation
INCLUDES
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the choice of the mathematical simulation model to be used
•
definition of the conceptual model
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calibration of the mathematical simulation model to make it site-specific, by using a site activity tracing compound
•
dispersion modelling of the odorous substances emitted by the sources at the site
•
assessment of the odour impact simulated by means of the model.
THE CALMET-CALPUFF SOFTWARE
CALMET-CALPUFF is an air dispersion model designed to simulate, in the domain under study, the air concentration of pollutants emitted by possible point, line, area or volumetric sources.
CALPUFF is the preferred model officially adopted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to estimate the long-range transport of molecules in the air and, in particular to model odour dispersion.
OUR MONITORING METHOD
includes sampling planned according to the different production cycles
(type of processed materials and quality of real or presumed emissions)
sampling for chemical analysis
Passive sampler for volatile organic compounds and hydrogen sulfide
Sampler for organosulfur compounds
Chemical analysis to identify and quantify the chemical compounds
in the odourous mixture
The analytical chemistry laboratory is equipped with GC/MS and GC/SCD testing systems coupled with a thermal desorption unit equipped with cryogenic focuser for volatile organic compounds and organosulfur compounds, and with hydrogen sulfide spectrophotometer
sampling for olfactometric analysis
Sampler for nalophan bag with vacuum pump
Wind tunnel, sampler for area sources (solid surfaces and water surfaces)
Olfactometric testing to characterise the parameters of the odour emission on the basis of the composition of the odorous mixture
Our dynamic olfactometry method UNI EN 13725:2004 (olfactometer Scentroid SS600 with six panelist stations and three sniffing ports per station) has been recognised by the European Commission as an official method for determining odour concentration in gas samples
The odour impact of the emission is measured by correlating the odour threshold (OT) of each compound with the odour units (OU/m3) emitted.
OLFACTOMETRIC LABORATORY
Our olfactometric laboratory is the only one in Sardinia;
it is equipped with a dedicated system for the precision dosing of air samples; it is installed in a conditioned environment where a panel of individuals, using calibrated equipment,
assess the intensity and quality of the previously sampled odour source.
At SARTEC,
olfactometric analysis is completed by chemical testing for full characterisation of the emission source.
