A waste facility in the United Kingdom processes food waste via anaerobic digestion. The site is in a mainly rural location with a number of isolated properties at least 500 m from the site boundary, so odour control is mandatory to protect harmful conditions to the environment and avoid odour nuisances.
The plant was commissioned using an ORGUS® double stage biofilter system with coconut fibre as packing material. The performance of the system was measured in February 2014. Olfactometric samples were undertaken, obtaining an average outlet odour concentration considerably lower than the discharge emission limit stipulated in the contract.
F. Sempere 1*, D. Hidalgo 1, A. Waalkens 1 and C. Gabaldón 2
1. Pure Air Solutions, P.O. Box 135, 8440 AC Heerenveen, The Netherlands.
2. Universitat de València, Avinguda Universitat s/n, 46100 Burjassot, Spain.
Corresponding author: f.sempere@pureairsolutions.nl
The odor emissions from environmental facilities (composting plants, EDARs, rendering…) are a frequent cause of nuisance in their surroundings which are given ever increasing attention. Therefore, stringent ambient air odor level requirements are being implemented worldwide which the conventional treatment technologies (such as scrubbers, conventional biofilters) are often unable to achieve. 
Odour control is an increasing concern in WWTPs. Physical/chemical end-of-the-pipe technologies for odour abatement are relatively expensive and present high environmental impacts. Biotechnologies, on the other hand, have recently emerged as cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternatives but are still limited by their investment costs and land requirements. A more desirable approach to odour control is the prevention of odorant formation.