Are odors considered as atmospheric emissions?

Many have doubts about odors, if they are considered atmospheric emissions. And the answer is yes, according to the environmental authorities. However, today in Brazil, there is no legislation that speaks clearly on this subject. However, Law 997, Decree 8468/76 of São Paulo, in its Art. 33 determines: "the emission of odorous substances into the atmosphere in quantities that may be perceptible outside the limit of the area of ownership of the issuing source is prohibited." The São Paulo agency that deals with environmental issues, CETESB, makes use of a list of substances and its LPO (Odor Perception limit) to monitor the sources of odor emissions.

Know what causes odors

In general, the odor that causes discomfort arises from the union of two main factors: when a source emits the odor and the process of separating this source to an important receptor. When this dispersion occurs, some atmospheric conditions may occur. Therefore, it is essential that odor studies be carried out through a database of at least 5 years, this information must be based on the variations of time and seasons of the year for a given period. As for the impacts, if they are analyzed or measured in a short period of time, they become fragile in terms of the technical basis and make it difficult to compare them with limits determined in current legislation.

See how to perform odor measurement

Odor mediation is carried out through concentration comparison tests based on the dispersion model, including rules of determined impact due to legal provisions, aspects of odor offense and previous reports of complaints. Therefore, it is important to manage odors efficiently and responsibly.

TSG and odor management

TSG Environmental supports industries that aim to reduce the impact of odors on communities in order to grow sustainably. It offers intelligent odor management services, combining the scientific base with a technological experience that allows you to control environmental and operational variables easily and efficiently in real time. If your company wants to know more about the evaluation, monitoring and odor management processes, click here and contact us.