Odour research

EnviVice can execute smell or odour investigations for you. These studies are often conducted in nuisance situations or under the Environmental Protection Act.

Different odour research methods can be used to map the local odour situation, namely:

• The making of a qualitative description of the situation and compare with similar situations in practice.
• The conducting of an emission survey including dispersion calculations.
• The conducting of a sniffing team research.
• The conducting of nuisance surveys.
• Combinations of the studies mentioned above.

EnviVice can draw up a possible validation framework, based on the research data but always needs to take a BAT test (Best Available Technology) into account and the possible complaints situation. We are actually of the opinion that the quantitative odour data (measurements) on its own are not sufficient enough to map the level of odour nuisance. Should it appear from the research that odour nuisance is plausible and that odour abatement measures are desirable, then we could conduct a feasibility study of these measures. In such an investigation, a number of scenario’s will be drawn up in close cooperation with business and the competent authority and the technical and economic feasibility of these scenario’s will be investigated.

The competent authority will eventually determine the acceptable odour nuisance level by also taking the socio-economic and planning aspects in the area into account. Think of for example of employment and the need of certain facilities.