Use the form to record odour observations

Smell diary template updated

This summary sheet explains the general role of non-specific chemical analysis in measuring odours. Simply put, it measures the concentration of hydrocarbons present in an air sample.

Summary Sheet

The complexity of the odour pollution question can make it difficult for stakeholders to fully grasp the issues. To support local decision-makers, emitting industries, and affected citizens in understanding the key facts, D-NOSES has published a policy brief entitled “Odour pollution – A growing societal concern”. The aim is to give readers a short, four-page introduction to the issues and explain the practical value of the proposed D-NOSES solution. This should raise awareness of odour pollution and provide all stakeholders with the necessary background knowledge to think about how they can engage in productive dialogues and effective co-created solutions.

Policy Brief

This summary sheet explains how citizen science can be used for the measurement of odours.

Summary Sheet

This summary sheet explains the method of dynamic olfactometry in measuring odours. With this method, samples of odourous gas are collected at the source of the odour in specific bags.

Summary Sheet

This summary sheet explains the method of field inspection in measuring odours. In field inspections, trained people participate and record when they can detect odour or not in the field and not in the laboratory (as in dynamic olfactometry).

Summary Sheet

This summary sheet explains the method of field olfactometry, whereby trained panelists use a breathing device which dilutes the outside odourous air with fresh air. The panelists then measure how many times the odourous air needs to be diluted before it can no longer be detected by a human nose.

Summary Sheet

This summary sheet explains how the gas chromatography olfactometry method combines the senses of trained panelists and the technology gas chromatography to establish the correlation between specific chemicals and odour concentration.

Summary Sheet

This summary sheet explains how an electronic nose can be used for the instrumental monitoring of odours. Compared to a human nose, the benefits of an electronic nose is that it can monitor odours continuously at the source or area of odour impact.

Summary Sheet

This summary sheet aims to explain the role of chemical analysis with speciation in the measurement of odours. Chemical analysis with speciation is a way of separating, identifying and measuring the different compounds that are present in a sample of odourous air.

Summary Sheet

This summary sheet aims to explains the role of chemical analysis in the measurement of odours, with particular reference to single gases.

Summary Sheet

The teachers manual is designed for primary year students (7 to 11) and is built around 6 separate interactive lessons. The manual is organised into identically structured sections containing, for each lesson: objectives, learning outcomes, duration, list of concepts, materials needed, a teaching guidance and practices. At the end of the manual, there is an Appendix section with additional supporting material.

Teachers Manual

Article paper

How councils assess and deal with nuisance odours from industrial, trade and business premises in the UK.

Website hyperlink

This report presents the current state of the practice in odor regulation in the United States and selected countries around the world, reviews the regulatory needs in different territories and presents a  regulatory framework that could be implemented in Minnesota.

Report

Report on the toxicity of odours by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

Report

This study presents odour assessment tools and odour emissions in industrial processes.

Article paper

This paper focuses on the properties of odours and investigates the relationship between the hedonic tone and odour concentration.

Article paper

This study assesses the impact of odors from industrial sources on the subjective well-being (SWB) of North Denver residents, and of four similar communities in Colorado for comparison.

Article paper

This paper investigates methods for the evaluation of odor pollution on terrains characterized by complex emission profiles.

Article paper

Critical review of regulations for the control of odors.

A critical review of Regulations for the Control Of Odors

Guidelines and considerations to develop odor control regulations.

Article paper

Article paper

Article paper

This paper investigates the possibility of using electric noses (ENs) to measure odour intensity.

Article paper

This paper investigates community perceptions of odor pollution from a landfill in Malaysia.

Article paper

This paper studies the impact of swine odor episodes reported by neighbors in North Carolina on daily-life activities.

Article paper

Article paper

Article paper

This guidance document is designed to help communities who are affected by odour issues take steps to improve the situation.

Guidance for communities

A simple guide to show how to install an start using the OdourCollect app.

User guide

L’inquinamento olfattivo è strettamente correlato alle problematiche ambientali e sanitarie, pertanto, necessita di una regolamentazione più rigorosa in Europa. Il coinvolgimento dei cittadini nei processi di controllo e gestione degli odori è vantaggioso per tutte le parti interessate, in quanto promuove l’educazione scientifica, migliora le relazioni e aumenta la fiducia nelle autorità pubbliche

DNOSES Policy Brief in Italian

In the case of landfills, the determination of odour emissions is particularly complex. Up to now, no universally Odour emission rate accepted methodology for sampling and assessing emissions from landfill surfaces has been established. Besides, Odour impact assessment the dependence of such emissions from some crucial environmental variables, such as wind speed, has not been univocally defined yet. In this study, odour dispersion modelling and plume inspections by human assessors were combined in order to estimate the odour emissions from a landfill in Southern Italy.

Article paper

Exposure to environmental odour can result in annoyance, health effects and depreciation of property values. Therefore, many jurisdictions classify odour as an atmospheric pollutant and regulate emissions and/or impacts from odour generating activities at a national, state or municipal level. In this work, a critical review of odour regulations in selected jurisdictions of 28 countries is presented.

Article paper

Gerhard Schleenstein presents this introductory course for Basic Training on Odour pollution using questionnaires to assess the level of odour annoyance in Chile

Video Link

Carlos Diaz presents this introductory course for Basic Training on Odour pollution

Video link

This MOOC offers open access to knowledge, insights and good practices on the issue of odour pollution and contributes to supporting citizen engagement in odour monitoring processes. Learners will generate an understanding of the causes of odour pollution and how it affects lives, whilst exploring some of the key environmental, social/health and economic impacts of odour pollution.

Access MOOC

Odour pollution is linked to environmental and health issues and therefore needs to be more closely regulated in Europe.
The inclusion of citizens in odour regulation and management processes is beneficial for all stakeholders, as it promotes scientific education, improves relationships and increases confidence in public authorities.

DNOSES Policy Brief