Odour Assessment
Our odour expertise is often called upon particularly in respect to planning and environmental permitting. Typically impacts are assessed when considering an application for an activity that may release odours or when a sensitive use is being proposed near to an existing odorous process.
Typical Odour Sources
- Abattoirs
- Agriculture
- Anaerobic digestion plant
- Commercial kitchens and catering outlets
- Composting facilities
- Food and drink manufacture
- Food processing industry
- Industrial processes
- Intensive livestock farming (pig, poultry and dairy)
- Processing of animal remains
- Restaurants
- Sewage treatment works
- Slurry handling on farms
- Solid waste management
- Spray-painting cars
- Waste handling
- Waste management
Our Odour Services
Our approach to odour assessment is based on current guidance available from the UK Government, the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) and the Environment Agency (EA) together with best practice odour assessment guidance from Institute of Air Quality Management (IAQM).
- Odour complaint and nuisance investigation
- Initial risk-based screening assessment using the Source-Pathway-Receptor concept
- On-site qualitative survey following ‘sniff test’ protocols to evaluate odour exposure inferred from measurements of Intensity, Frequency, Duration, and Offensiveness
- On-site quantitative sampling using field olfactometry,
- Odour sample analysis (laboratory olfactometry to find measured odour concentrations (OUe/m3) and compound analysis to determine likely causes of odour
- Detailed odour assessment using advanced dispersion modelling
- Impact significance evaluation
- Odour mitigation planning and provision of advice on suitable mitigation options
- Odour Management Plans (OMP)
