The public’s increasing sensitivity to odour and the widening scope from IPC to IPPC for industry means that odour management has never been higher on the corporate agenda. There are two typical problems, namely, community complaints of odour nuisance from a particular site e.g. a wastewater treatment works and the requirement for an odour management plan to be submitted as part of the IPPC application to the Regulator. The former requires an understanding of odour generation, monitoring techniques and the dispersion and behaviour of complex mixtures of odorous compounds in the atmosphere and their potential impact on sensitive receptors. The latter typically requires an understanding of odour abatement techniques and management procedures to minimise odorous emissions as well as how the emissions impact local air quality.

BMT Cordah Ltd offers a focused service in all aspects of odour and air pollution to a wide range of clients. The Air Quality Unit has a team of experienced staff with particular expertise in ambient odour monitoring surveys and dispersion modelling of odorous releases. Modelling uses the concept of European odour units (ouE) to quantify the impact of complex mixtures of odorous compounds on air sensitive receptors (ASRs). Local meteorological and topographical influences are considered in the assessment and predicted concentrations are compared with air quality standards and guidelines and odour detection thresholds. The number of exceedences of a particular threshold can be calculated for a specified assessment period. Modelling techniques are also used in cost-effective assessments of odour abatement techniques and the assessment of Best Available Technique (BAT) and can be used to identify sources in situations where there are many potential contributors to a local odour problem.