Odour solutions
Odour can have a significant impact on public health and quality of life. We work with industry leaders and local councils to identify the source of the issue and design a sustainable answer. Our efficient treatment solutions tackle unpleasant odours to create a healthy environment and foster good relationships with the local community.
SUEZ provides odour control and odour management solutions to a wide range of industries. These include odour control for wastewater treatment plants, airborne odour control and wastewater odour control for many industries as well as commercial kitchen odour control systems.
Our odour measurement services play a crucial role in evaluating compliance with regulatory emission limits and assess the performance of odour control units. They also provide comprehensive data for informed environmental impact assessments.
Why not ask us for an odour sampling survey?
Innovative odour treatment solutions for air quality
Fugitive Emissions
Fugitive emissions (where it’s not obvious where odours are coming from) are especially challenging to quantify. However, our highly-experienced investigators employ a range of methodologies including smoke testing, pressure testing and tracer gas testing to deliver accurate fugitive emissions tests.
As well as accurately pinpointing the issue, SUEZ can also offer an effective range of mitigation technologies, detailed below.
Olfactometry
Olfactometry is best suited to assessing environmental odours as they typically comprise a diverse mix of compounds. For this, an olfactometer is used to determine the odour concentration in line with the European odour standard, EN 13725.
Chemical analysis using specific detectors or molecular methods can also be applied, where relevant.
Sniff testing
Sniff testing, also known as field surveys, is a specialized service using the human nose for odour management in the vicinity of potential odour sources or in areas undergoing new developments.
Testing is carried out by experienced SUEZ staff following established protocols to industry-standard procedures (eg IAQM guidance on sniff testing.)
The assessment process is designed to evaluate and identify the presence, intensity, and characteristics of odours. Through systematic observations, we can identify sources, assess the likely impact of odours, and detect potential areas of concern in odour control.
Odour Impact Assessment
At SUEZ, we specialise in delivering tailored odour impact assessments.
These assessment are routinely required at planning for new residential or commercial developments near potentially odorous facilities to assess the likelihood of adverse odour exposure.
Or they may be for odour assessment for new potentially odorous industrial facilities to help evaluate and reduce or minimise adverse offsite odour impact at nearby receptors, allowing developments to go ahead.
Detailed impact assessments are also routinely used by industry to evaluate upgrade works or to ensure the odour neutrality of upgrade schemes.
Whatever the situation, the experienced team of SUEZ UK consultants can assess the situation and recommend suitable investigations and mitigation strategies.
Dispersion Modelling
Our expert team employs advanced air quality dispersion modelling techniques to simulate the dispersion of odorous emissions. This process often forms a crucial part of odour impact assessments, particularly at planning.
Odour complaints
Our comprehensive odour impact assessments are invaluable in investigating and resolving odour complaints.
By analysing emission hierarchies and the dispersion of specific odorous emissions, we can identify potential areas of concern and develop targeted strategies to manage them.
Odour Risk Assessment
Our expert consultancy team can also utilizes qualitative risk-based assessment methodologies such as the Source-Pathway-Receptor model (as detailed in the IAQM Odour Guidance) to conduct robust qualitative odour assessments.
Qualitative odour impact assessments are particularly appropriate for:
- Screening odour impacts
- Development proposals likely to have low risk
- Situations where detailed assessment utilising dispersion modelling isn’t possible or practical.
Commercial Kitchen Odour Assessment and Control
Commercial kitchen odour control assessments are normally required as part of the planning process. They will also specify correct management and mitigation of odour emissions from a kitchen ventilation system in everything from corner takeaways to the largest dining hall.
SUEZ has the know-how and the systems in place to not only thoroughly assess and advise in line with published guidance from DEFRA and EMAQ+, but to specify and supply industry-leading kitchen odour control systems for any size of catering facility.
Odour Control Unit Testing
Regular testing of your Odour Control Unit (OCU) is vital to maintaining its effectiveness and identifying areas needing improvement.
Our specialised teams conduct thorough assessments to verify not only the units' odour control capabilities but also the extraction rates, flow balance, and removal of specific compounds.
Through comprehensive testing, we assess the performance of OCUs across many industrial applications, assisting clients to maintain environmental compliance and enhance odour management strategies.
Best Available Technique (BAT) Assessments
BAT assessments for odour analysis involve evaluating and identifying the most effective methods, technologies, and practices to control odorous emissions.
Our expert team conducts comprehensive assessments to recommend optimal techniques tailored to specific industrial contexts. Through these, we assist clients in adopting best practices that maximize odour control efficiency whilst ensuring environmental compliance.
Odour management plan
Odour Control Training
SUEZ can also provide bespoke odour training services for both industry professionals and regulatory bodies.
Some common training courses include:
- Odour sampling & airflow measurement
- Field assessment
- Odour Management Plans (OMPs).
Courses range between one hour and one day depending on requirements and can be delivered either at clients’ locations or at SUEZ UK locations.
Training: Odour Sampling and Airflow Management
Delegates will learn how to undertake odour sampling from a range of common sources and how to undertake airflow measurements from ductwork.
This course is aimed at both those who intend to collect odour samples (eg site operators) and those how need to have an understanding of appropriate monitoring methods (eg local councils, EHOs etc.)
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Training: Odour Field Assessment
Delegates will learn how to robustly undertake sniff testing techniques and the associated performance requirements for staff undertaking field assessments.
This course is aimed at anyone involved in the commissioning or reviewing of sniff testing assessments (eg site staff or permitting officers.)
Training: Odour Management Plans (OMPs)
Attendees will learn about the principles of an odour management plan, the requirements set out in published guidance on what's required within an OMP, and finally how to write one.
As an alternative, SUEZ can provide training on the implementation of an OMP.
This course is aimed at operators of facilities with the potential to generate odorous emissions.
Our Odour Control Systems
In conjunction with our monitoring and consultancy services, SUEZ offers a comprehensive range of turnkey odour control solutions tailored to address our clients’ diverse needs.
Effectively, this means that SUEZ can offer a ‘one stop’ solution to almost any industrial odour problem: first analysing and assessing the situation, reporting and recommending remedial measures and then delivering a custom mitigation solution, all to industry standards.
Wet Scrubber
SUEZ scrubber systems are tailored for specific odour control solutions, ensuring effective odour removal whilst minimizing environmental impact and operational costs. Both wet and dry scrubbers can be supplied, according to the requirement.
Wet scrubbers (sometimes referred to as chemical scrubbers) often use reactive agents like alkalis or acids to neutralize odorous gases through chemical reactions, converting them into less odorous substances.
For example, water or NaOH-based scrubbers are used for H2S removal; sulfuric acid-dosed scrubbers are used for ammonia removal.
Activated Carbon Air Filter
Dry scrubbers use physical processes (such as adsorption) to remove odours for air pollution control. Commonly used is activated carbon for odour control. This is effective because activated carbon has a large surface area that captures and traps pollutants, including those which cause unwanted odours.
SUEZ provides many activated carbon-based air scrubber solutions, specifically tailored to the process airstream, with or without pre-treatment. The activated carbon can be periodically replaced or regenerated, depending on the application and specifics of the system.
Other impregnated medias are also available for individual applications to treat contaminants that are more challenging to remove using traditional activated carbon.
Biofilter for Odour Control
As well as conventional biofilters, SUEZ supplies specialised high efficiency advanced biofilter (HEAB) devices designed for superior odour removal in many applications.
SUEZ’s High-Efficiency Advanced Biofilter
SUEZ offers a superior biofilter odour control system – HEAB
HEAB systems employ advanced inorganic media pre-inoculated with over 50 carefully selected strains of microorganisms. This greatly enhances odour removal efficiency, providing residual outlet odour concentrations of less than 1,000 ouE/m3, even in the case of complex emissions.
Additionally, HEAB systems boast an extended service life of up to 8 years and substantially reduced operational costs.
For more info, see the Case Study below.
Traditional Biofilters
A conventional biofilter for odour removal utilizes organic-based media such as compost or wood-chips to facilitate the biological breakdown of odorous compounds.
Microorganisms residing in the media metabolize the odour-causing compounds as the contaminated air passes through.
While effective, traditional biofilters may have limitations in terms of odour removal efficiency and media lifespan.
EOLAGE
EOLAGE is a propulsion turbine capable of propelling and diluting stack emissions.
The technology can be incorporated into new odour control systems or retrofitted to existing emission stacks. It can complement the existing odour control systems by improving atmospheric dispersion of the odorants, reducing offsite ground level exposure by 50-75%.
EOLAGE technology is also able minimise the visual impact of a stack emission plume.
For more info, see the Case Study below.
AirAdvanced® Actilayer
SUEZ’s AirAdvanced® ActiLayer is an innovative new treatment technology addressing various pollutant compounds, including odorous substances and harmful greenhouse gases such as nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4.)
Within the system, the filter media contains an activated carbon layer coated with a titanium dioxide (TiO2) catalyst. The carbon works to adsorb pollutants, while exposure to UV from sunlight triggers a reaction with the TiO2, generating free radical species that degrade the adsorbed pollutants onto the activated carbon. Simultaneously, this process regenerates the activated carbon for further use.
This is an innovative new solution offered exclusively by SUEZ for both odour control and GHG emission reduction.
Biogas Treatment
SUEZ offers a range of tailored solutions for the treatment and purification of biogas, such as H2S and siloxanes removal as well as humidity conditioning.
Additionally, we offer biogas upgrading solutions for grid injection or vehicular use.
AirAdvanced – Vision360 Odour Monitoring
AirAdvanced Vision360 is a highly modular integrated air quality management platform that provides real-time monitoring in urban and industrial environments, the platform is applicable not only to odour but to a range of VOCs, dust and GHG’s among others.
Developed by SUEZ, this technically advanced decision-making tool can act as an early warning odour monitoring system, evaluating future scenarios and generating automatic reports.
The platform also allows for complaints data integration and investigation, assisting operators in mitigating potential issues as they arise in real time.
Why SUEZ?
Specialized UK-Based Team
Our dedicated team of odour removal specialists in the UK possesses extensive expertise in a comprehensive range of solutions - from emissions monitoring to detailed consultancy support.
We have the experience and the know-how to offer authoritative views and present highly advanced solutions to any odour management issue.
End-to-End Service
Using SUEZ means a full-service solution to any industrial odour issue:
- Initial investigations and monitoring (odour emission measurement)
- Comprehensive consultancy support (impact assessments, OMPS, etc)
- If necessary, process optimization and engineering solutions (odour control solutions).
Access to Wider Expertise
As part of the SUEZ group, every client gets direct access to our extensive knowledge base, benefiting from the collective expertise of our organization, with over 140 experts in different disciplines.
Odour Case Studies
CASE STUDY: Odour control BAT assessment for a large wastewater treatment works (WwTW)
SUEZ undertook a detailed study at a large WwTW facility serving a population of about 1.5 million that was receiving numerous odour complaints.
The study initially focused on accurately quantifying and characterising the site’s odorous emissions and forming a detailed emission hierarchy. From reviewing this, an existing sludge treatment line was identified as needing mitigation.
A detailed BAT assessment for the airstream requiring treatment was undertaken, following which a High-Efficiency Advanced Biofilter (HEAB) was chosen for its high odour removal efficiency, long service life and comparatively low cost.
The system once commissioned provided excellent odour removal performance, with a removal efficiency of >95% and a residual outlet odour concentration of below 1,000 ouE/ m3 .CASE STUDY: Odour Control for a Waste Facility Using Advanced Biofiltration
Ecoparc Barcelona is an environmental facility for the comprehensive treatment of waste in the Barcelona Metropolitan Area, operated by URBASER. To tackle odour emissions at the site, a High-Efficiency Advanced Biofilter (HEAB) was installed by SUEZ.
Unlike conventional biofilters, this solution is capable of achieving a 95% odour reduction right from commissioning and a prolonged media life of eight years, or even more in some cases. This system following commissioning achieved a residual outlet odour concentration below 1,000 ouE/ m3 .
The implementation substantially reduced offsite odour exposure and lowered both energy and water consumption compared to the previous installation.
CASE STUDY: Odour Control for Waste Facility using EOLAGE
SUEZ retrofitted a number of existing odour control systems at an industrial waste facility, with EOLAGE systems; this was done to cost-effectively reduce the offsite odour impact of the emissions of the facility. Specifically this improved the dispersion of the residual odours from the legacy odour control systems.
Following successful installation, the Client reported that they stopped receiving complaints in relation to odours from their site, and modelling indicated a substantial reduction in offsite H2S levels.