Odour measurement

With increasing settlement density, odour emissions from industry and agriculture are increasingly becoming a concern for residents. Unpleasant odours do not necessarily have to be harmful to health, but they can be a considerable nuisance. We assess odours and help you to reduce excessive odours. We are at your side with our many years of experience.

Odour measurement: Olfactometry

Do you need help assessing odour emissions? We use olfactometry in accordance with DIN EN 13725 to measure odour emissions from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), waste incineration plants (WIPs), biogas plants, composting plants, landfills, food companies, flavouring manufacturers, agricultural businesses, livestock farms, textile companies and the chemical industry, using our roughly 25 trained odour testers.

We use the results to assess whether the requirements, guidelines and limit values of the environmental authorities (canton and municipality) are being complied with by the companies and how effective activated carbon filters, biofilters and other measures for minimising odours in the exhaust air are. We regularly take part in round robin tests to ensure the quality of our odour measurements. The certificate from the last participation in 2023 certifies the accuracy and correctness of our measurements.

Factsheet Olfactometry (DE)

Identification of odours and odour sources

Do you have an odour problem and want to find the cause? Is there an undefinable odour in the air? Your plant is causing complaints in the neighbourhood and you would like to know which plant components and processes are contributing to this? We offer chemical and instrumental analysis (odour laboratory) and are at your disposal with our trained panel of test persons for odour measurements.

We assess the odour situation in new buildings, old buildings, production plants, agricultural operations and residential areas. We identify the most important odour sources, advise you on how to minimise odour emissions and help you to check the effectiveness of the measures taken.

Factsheet Identification of Odours (DE) Factsheet Odours from Agriculture (DE)

Surveys and on-site inspections

When residents complain about unpleasant odours from industry and agriculture, they need an objective and neutral assessment of the odour emissions. We carry out surveys and inspections on behalf of authorities, plant operators and neighbours. The results provide an assessment of whether the odour emissions are excessive or not.

We base our surveys and inspections on the FOEN's odour recommendation and the VDI 3883 guideline. Our test subjects are selected and trained accordingly.

Factsheet Surveys (DE) Factsheet On-site Inspection (DE)

Electronic diary

In order to combat unpleasant odour emissions, it is helpful to know exactly when they occur. Are they favoured by certain weather conditions or rather by certain production processes?

Residents can use the app we have developed to record odours. The reports are transferred directly to our server, compared with the current operating parameters and analysed by us. In this way, we provide the affected companies and/or environmental authorities with an up-to-date overview of the odour situation and help to initiate appropriate measures.

Factsheet Electronic Diary (DE)

Modelling and forecasts

We prepare forecasts on the effects of odour-reducing measures and/or planned new installations on odour nuisance for local residents. This is particularly useful when no immission measurements are possible. These odour reports will also be used for environmental impact assessments or environmental impact reports. For our forecasts, we use dispersion models such as AUSTAL2000, for which we first need variables such as the distribution of wind directions, wind speeds and odour emissions. The dispersion models are used to estimate how often and how far away from the odour source the odours can still be perceived. This makes it possible to estimate whether the occurrence of odours should be considered excessive or not.

Model calculations can be used to estimate potential odour emissions from a planned plant. They also provide a solid evaluation basis for odour-reducing measures at existing facilities and show which measure is most effective

Factsheet Modelling (DE)