Wastewater treatment, chemical processing, waste incineration and food production can all contribute to industrial odours.
Many industrial sectors and municipal wastewater treatment works can release unpleasant odours into the air which can travel for miles before becoming a nuisance. Different environmental factors can also play a key role in increasing the effect of offensive odours. One of the common examples that intensifies odour at the source is an increase in the air temperature and air distribution can also transfer odours from one place to another.
What are the impacts of Odour emissions?
Continuous odour emissions of a pungent type can be categorised as a part of air pollution and such odours can have a detrimental effect on local neighbourhoods. Constant exposure to offensive and aggressive odours inside a factory, food manufacturing facility or waste treatment plant can cause severe mental and physical health problems to the employees as well as causing detrimental corrosion to plant and machinery.
A large number of research studies have suggested that odour emissions could be more dangerous to the most susceptible sections of the population. It can particularly affect; children, the elderly and asthmatic sufferers. The correct type of odour control can lead to a better and a healthier environment for people living in the neighbourhood of a plant that is producing foul odour.
The offensive release of harmful gases like hydrogen sulphide, ethyl methyl sulphide and trimethylamine can result in serious health issue. These health issues can produce symptoms that range from mild discomfort, to being extremely serious. Chemicals with strong odour have the capacity of causing lung, eyes, nose and throat irritation. Employees working inside factories can experience a mild burning sensation in their throat that eventually leads to coughing, wheezing and other breathing problems.
What can be done to eliminate odour emissions?
There are a comprehensive range of odour abatement processes that can be used to maintain an odour free environment both internally or externally.
Here is a list of multiple processes that can be used for eliminating odour problems:
- Wet Scrubbing: Often the technology of choice for companies seeking a flexible and efficient way to eradicate unwanted odours.
- Biological Treatment: OSIL’s LavaRok biological systems which is often the favoured solution for clients looking for a reliable and flexible process for treating high volumes of odour – without the addition of chemicals.
- Photo- ionisation: This process involves applying a high intensity UV light combined with a specialised catalyst to eliminate odours from contaminated air.
- Activated Carbon: This adsorption process is ideal for treating VOCs and other organic contaminants.
- Misting and Dosing System: This is a process for masking odours with the careful use of essential oils, surfactants and organic compounds.
With the continual development of towns and cities, foul odour emissions are becoming more and more problematic for all types of manufacturing, production and treatment processes as well as for the conurbations surrounding these facilities.
Odour elimination has gradually become one of the primary concerns that need to be resolved. It is imperative that odour is controlled so as not to materially affect people’s enjoyment of their property or outdoor space and decrease their legitimate use of the environment.
If problems do occur, or are likely to occur in the near future, it is important that the appropriate actions to prevent or minimise the risk are taken. While for some activities it may not be practicable to avoid all odours, any neighbourhood has the right to expect that there must not be any odour produced that will detract from their quality of life. It is unlikely; however, that action will be taken over occasional or slight odours.
By “neighbourhood” we mean anyone living, working, visiting or making use of public space outside a site that is producing odour. It means any sensitive receptor.
Rather than simply installing turnkey equipment, OSIL is one such odour controlling partner that focuses on finding the right solution to resolve odour problems.
Contact us today to find out more about our cost-effective odour control solutions.
