Odour source strength of a wastewater treatment plant

Abstract

The development of an odour source strength concept to quantify the rate of odour emission from an areal source such as a wastewater treatment plant is presented. The overall odour emission rate of the plant is approximately represented by an equivalent hypothetical virtual point source producing the observed distribution of ambient odour concentrations around the plant site. The plant's odour emission rate is quantified in terms of a newly defined measure introduced as an "odour cone volume'. For a given set of meteorological conditions prevailing over the plant site, the relative change in the odour source strength of the plant is proportional to the relative change in the "odour cone volume'. This source strength concept is applied to a modest-sized wastewater treatment plant. Three field odour assessment sessions were conducted at the wastewater plant and changes in odour source strength are represented by changes in odour cone volumes. -Author