This study measured and analyzed the discharge concentration and characteristics of odor substances emitted from the discharge outlets of asphalt manufacturing facilities in South Korea. Measured factors included flow rate, composite odors, and 22 designated odor substances. After applying the dilution factor of composite odors emitted from 33 asphalt manufacturing facilities located in various regions to the composite odor emission standard of 500 times, it was found that more than half of these facilities exceeded the emission standard. The contribution rate of the designated odor substances from the discharge outlets was the highest for acetaldehyde at over 50%, followed by hydrogen sulfide and methyl mercaptan. The correlation between composite odors and the concentration of major designated odor substances was analyzed, and it was found that methyl mercaptan and acetaldehyde showed some correlation with the composite odor dilution factor. The methyl mercaptan odor intensity corresponding to the odor intensity of 4.5 to 5 ppb, which is the allowable odor dilution multiple emission standard of the odor emission source outlet, was estimated to be approximately 1.6 to 2.2 ppb, and the corresponding methyl mercaptan emission concentration range was estimated to be 0.98 to 2.02 ppb. The composite odor emission coefficient of asphalt concrete manufacturing facilities was estimated to be higher for general asphalt concrete than for asphalt concrete recycling facilities, and the composite odor emission coefficient of newly produced general asphalt concrete was estimated to be greater than that of recycled asphalt concrete. In terms of fuel usage, the composite odor emission coefficient of facilities that used Bunker C fuel oil was estimated to be higher than that of facilities powered by LPG and LNG fuel. It was deemed necessary to select 2 to 3 major designated odor substances that are correlated with the composite odor dilution factor for each major odor emission source, set the designated odor substance concentration corresponding to the composite odor dilution factor emission allowance standard, and review a plan to monitor the designated odor substances at the emission point.

This study investigated the correlation between compound malodor and total hydrocarbons (THC) to evaluate the potential use of THC as a predictor of compound malodor. A total of 87 samples were analyzed from five target facilities: two petrochemical manufacturing facilities (A, B), a wastewater treatment facility (C), a recycled plastic injection molding facility (D), and a surfactant manufacturing facility (E). The correlation coefficients of compound malodor and THC for each facility were as follows: A: 0.6698, B: 0.8068, C: –0.2767, D: 0.2071, and E: 0.7695. The correlation coefficient for all facilities was 0.5634, indicating a weak correlation. The coefficients of determination for the regression analysis to predict the compound malodor for facilities A, B, and E were 0.4093, 0.6316, and 0.5695, respectively, which validated the results of the correlation analysis. These values improved to 0.8394, 0.6941, and 0.7476 in the multiple regression analysis with the VOC analysis results added as independent variables. Therefore, it is expected that THC measurement that considers the characteristics of the facility can be used to establish a systematic odor management plan.

Due to the onset of urbanization worldwide, there is an increasing demand for improving the quality of the urban environment. Odor in wastewater collection systems (WCSs) can interfere with the comfortable and safe living conditions of citizens. Additionally, it can cause economic losses, such as the corrosion of wastewater collection facilities. In this paper, the mechanism of odor generation in WCSs was summarized, and the odor concentrations and sulfide generation rates measured in domestic and foreign WCSs were comprehensively analyzed to review the characteristics of odor emission in WCSs. The complex odor intensity (dilution-tothreshold value) measured in combined domestic sewers ranged from 10 to 10,000, with a median of 100. The odorous compound with the highest contribution to complex odor intensity was hydrogen sulfide, which was the odor most frequently detected at the highest concentrations in most WCSs (its median and mean concentrations were 378.0 ppb and 3,771.2 ppb, respectively). The odor emission properties in the WCSs in Australia and Finland were similar to those of South Korea, with the median and mean concentrations of hydrogen sulfide being 1,927.5 ppb and 12,306.1 ppb, respectively. The sulfide generation rates measured in domestic and foreign WCSs ranged from 0.003 to 0.220 g m–2 h–1. In addition, the key factors affecting sulfide generation were sulfate and organic matter concentrations, pH, temperature, flow rate (retention time), dissolved oxygen concentration, and electron acceptor concentrations other than sulfate. To control odor in WCSs, various methods have been proposed to improve their anaerobic environment. These include sucking outside air into the WCSs and improving their hydraulic conditions, such as changing the slope of sewer pipes to minimize sediment deposition. Additionally, periodically removing sediments, which contain a significant amount of organic matters and sulfate-reducing bacteria, is also a useful method for controlling odor in WCSs. Since the odor compounds that contribute the highest odor intensity–and are the most frequently detected–are sulfur-containing odors such as hydrogen sulfide, the control of sulfides is crucial for controlling odor in WCSs. There are chemical control methods for the mitigation of sulfide in WCSs, including air (oxygen) injection and introducing various chemicals, such as alkalis, nitrates, iron salts, and biocides. However, most of the results of odor control using these methods were from laboratory-scale studies. Therefore, additional field-scale experiments should be conducted in WCSs to evaluate the actual effectiveness of various odor control methods. Through these field studies, the optimal conditions for each method to control odor in WCSs can be derived, and the efficiency and economic feasibility of each method can be verified.

The management of pollutant emissions from industrial sites involves various crucial steps, including estimating emission quantities and assessing their impact on surrounding areas. While emissions from point sources, such as exhaust outlets, are relatively easier to manage, emissions from area sources, such as workshops and livestock facilities, are often challenging to measure due to various constraints. To address this issue, this study proposes a method for estimating emissions from area sources by utilizing data collected at site boundaries and applying a reverse modeling approach. Using data from actual livestock facilities, along with reverse modeling results, this study identified a strong correlation between the facility area and the number of livestock raised. Correlation analyses revealed positive relationships between the facility area and the average odor emission rate, as well as between the number of livestock and the average odor emission rate. In addition, the results of reverse modeling confirmed a significant correlation between odor emissions, the number of livestock, and the facility area. Based on these findings, this study developed an odor emission factor for livestock facilities using the number of livestock and the facility area as activity indicators. The odor emission factor is expressed in units of OU/s/pig/m², where “OU” represents odor units, “s” denotes seconds, “pig” corresponds to the number of livestock, and “m²” refers to the total facility area. By multiplying the number of livestock by the facility area, the total odor emission rate (OU/sec) can be calculated. Unlike traditional emission factors that rely solely on the number of livestock, this newly developed factor incorporates all facilities contributing to odor emissions within a livestock operation. This approach allows for the estimation of odor emissions using external measurement data and facility information, even in cases where direct measurements are impractical. The results of this study are expected to be effectively utilized for odor evaluation and management in livestock facilities.

Time-series and spatial analysis of collected odor complaints in Seoul megacity during 2014~2021 were conducted for the characterization of odor complaints emitted from the living environment. The ratio of odor complaints in the environmental complaints was 16.7%, and odor complaints increased 3.3 times from 9,053 cases in 2014 to a maximum of 29,425 cases in 2019. In the time-based evaluation (monthly, daily (day of the week), and hourly variations), the highest number of complaints occurred in June, Monday, and 9:00 AM, respectively. While the lowest number of complaints occurred in December, Sunday, and 3:00 AM, respectively. Among 25 provinces in Seoul megacity, the odor complaints that occurred from 2014 to 2021 were concentrated in Eunpyeonggu. The odor complaints of Seodaemun-gu and Nowon-gu occurred at the highest levels in January-February and June, respectively. Based on the characteristics of odor complaint occurrence according to the above time-series and spatial analyses, more effective odor management and control can be implemented by focusing on those hotspot areas and specific time periods.

This study was conducted to solve the problem of the existing odor management method taking a long time to analyze samples. Using real-time air quality measurement equipment, 17 designated odor substances were measured three times at a business site causing odor complaints. As a result, three substances, hydrogen sulfide, trimethylamine, and methyl mercaptan, were measured at higher levels than the site boundary emission standards inside the business site. In the case of trimethylamine, it was measured about 500 times higher than Odor Threshold Values, and was estimated to be the substance causing the odor. Through an inspection of the business site, improvements were instructed to be made to the wastewater treatment process, which is the emission facility where trimethylamine is generated. Subsequent measurement results showed that designated odor substances were measured within the emission standards at all locations, and it was determined that efficient management of odorgenerating businesses would be possible if Selected Ion Flow tube-Mass Spectrometry was utilized.

This study developed and tested a pilot-scale biowindow for simultaneous removal of odor and methane from landfills. The test was conducted in a sanitary landfill site during the summer season (July and August). The average temperature inside the biowindow was 5°C higher than the average air temperature, rising to 37–48oC when the outdoor temperature was very hot. The complex odor removal rate (based on the dilution-to-threshold value) in the biowindow during the summer was 91.3- 98.8% (with an average of 96.2±4.2%). The average concentration of hydrogen sulfide was 3,024.9±805.8 ppb, and its concentration was found to be the highest among 22 odorous compounds. The removal efficiencies of hydrogen sulfide and methyl mercaptan were 89.1% and 83.2%, respectively. The removal of dimethyl sulfide was 17.7%, and no ammonia removal was observed. Additionally, the removal efficiencies of toluene and xylene were 85.2% and 72.5%, respectively. Although the initial methane removal was low (24.9%), the methane removal performance improved to 53.7–75.6% after the 11th day of operation. These results demonstrate that the odor and methane removal performance of the pilot-scale biowindow was relatively stable even when the internal temperature of the biowindow rose above 40oC in the summer. Since the main microorganisms responsible for decomposing odor and methane are replaced by thermotolerant or thermophilic microorganisms, and high community diversity is maintained, odor and methane in the biowindow could be stably removed even under high-temperature conditions.

In this study, hybrid devices were developed to simultaneously remove odor and particulate matter (PM) emitted during meat grilling, and their performance was evaluated. A ceramic filter system and surfactant microbubble plasma system were used to reduce particulate matter. For odor reduction, an electro-oxidation system, an ozone-active catalytic oxidation system, and a multi-adsorption filter system were used. By combining the above particulate matter reduction and odor reduction devices, the reduction efficiency of odor and particulate matter generated during meat grilling was analyzed. As a result, most of the six combined device conditions showed a reduction efficiency of more than 90% for particulate matter. The combined odor also showed a high reduction efficiency of less than 200 times the emission concentration standard. This study also evaluated 22 types of odorous substances, of which ammonia (NH3) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) showed removal efficiencies of more than 99%. Therefore, it is expected that the combination of these technologies can be used and applied directly to the sites where meat grilling restaurants are located to effectively contribute to the simultaneous reduction of particulate matter and odor.

This paper aims to review the odor removal performance and operating parameters of pilot and full-scale chemical scrubbers, bioscrubbers, biofilters, and biotrickling filters for odor control in wastewater treatment plants. Based on the performance of full-scale facilities installed in wastewater treatment plants, empty-bed residence times were the shortest for bioscrubbers (7.5±2.5s), followed by chemical scrubbers (20±8.1s), biotrickling filters (22.2±26.2s), and biofilters (48±30s). The removal efficiencies of complex odors by biofilters, biotrickling filters, bioscrubbers, and chemical scrubbers were 97.7±1.9%, 87.7±15.6%, 89.0±9.0%, and 70.0%, respectively. The investment cost was the lowest for biofilters, followed by biotrickling filters, bioscrubbers, and chemical scrubbers. In addition, the operating costs of these deodorization technologies were in the following order: biofilters < bioscrubbers and biotrickling filters < chemical scrubbers. However, most studies on odor control for wastewater treatment processes have been conducted on a laboratory scale with model odors (single odorous compound or mixtures of 2-3 odorous compounds). Therefore, field research to develop deodorization technologies for wastewater treatment plants should be more actively conducted to accumulate data for the design and operation of full-scale deodorizing systems.

The odors emitted from wastewater treatment plants are not only a health and hygiene problem, but can also lead to complaints from residents and have wider social ramifications such as bringing about falling property values in the surrounding area. In this paper, based on the data measured at domestic and overseas wastewater treatment facilities, the concentrations of complex odors and odorous compounds were compared for each treatment/process: primary treatment, secondary treatment, and sludge treatment processes. Odor compounds that contribute greatly to complex odors were summarized for each process. In addition, the characteristics of odor wheels for each wastewater treatment process, which provide both chemical and olfactory information regarding odors, were reviewed. For domestic wastewater treatment facilities, the complex odor concentrations (unit, dilution factor) of the primary and secondary treatment processes were 4.5-100,000 (median, 32.1) and 2.5-30,000 (median, 10.7), respectively. However, the complex odor concentrations in the sludge treatment process were 3.0-100,000 (median, 118.7), which was more than three times higher than that in the wastewater treatment process. In the wastewater treatment process, those odor compounds making the greatest contributions to complex odors were sulfur-containing compounds such as hydrogen sulfide, dimethyl sulfide, and dimethyl disulfide DMS. In order to properly manage odors from wastewater treatment plants and minimize their impact, it is important to understand the status of odor emissions. Therefore, the compositions and concentrations of odors from wastewater treatment processes and odor wheel information, which are reviewed in this paper, are used to evaluate the potential risk of odor from wastewater treatment facilities in order to derive strategies to minimize odor emissions. Moreover, the information can be usefully used to introduce the best available technology to reduce odors emitted from wastewater treatment facilities.

This study evaluated the effectiveness of odor reduction when spraying inside the Bio-curtain (hereinafter referred to as curtain) according to the exhaust fan operating rate. Spraying is a main factor affecting the ability to odor reduction of curtains. The curtain (total area: 37.9m3) was constructed with two layers of light-shielding screens stretched over a rectangular parallelepiped structure installed around an exhaust fan (630 mm) on the side wall of a pig barn. Air samples for odor analysis were collected from inside the pig barn and outside the curtain. The main odorous compounds such as volatile fatty acids, phenols, indoles, and ammonia were measured. The odor reduction effectiveness was evaluated by total odor activity values (TOAVs) summed to the odor activity values of each odorous compounds. Depending on the exhaust fan operating rate, the reduced rate of TOAVs gradually decreased to the range between 15.67% and 68.80%. Because the contact time between the spraying liquid and the air velocity of the exhaust fan becomes shorter (or there is a reduction in liquid to gas flow ratio) as the exhaust fan operating rate increases. The results of this study can be used as basic data for research into spraying conditions to improve the odor reduction effectiveness of curtains.

Odor is a type of air pollution where irritating substances enter through the olfactory system, causing discomfort. At present, the government is formulating various measures and policies to address this type of pollution. This paper seeks to analyze major research cases from both domestic and overseas settings in relation to odor management. In addition, it reviews the potential of addressing environmental issues using a living lab approach in conjunction with community mapping and citizen science. For example, in one domestic case, the Magok smart city living lab project, citizens’ data on community mapping of odor were collected for analysis using artificial intelligence (AI) to derive results. Additionally, in an overseas case in California, citizens directly participated in monitoring air quality using the Community-based monitoring (CBM) method, and both CBM and existing methods were used to assess the level of pollutants for effective data collection. In both of these cases, the potential to address environmental issues was seen to manifest through the development of citizens’ determination and ability to independently solve local problems. However, there are still problems in implementing citizen science, such as the lack of infrastructure and resources available, issues with data collection methodology, questions of objectivity regarding collected data, and concerns about sustainability and expertise in relation to civic participation. Addressing these problems would require an institutional foundation and systematic civic education. This study highlights the potential of addressing environmental problems inherent in the living lab system based on citizen science by analyzing two cases. In addition, this study suggests that if systematic civic education measures are introduced to address issues within existing citizen science research approaches, such measures would be valuable within the educational living lab framework in that they would become effective in tackling not only environmental problems but also social problems as well.

This review paper aimed to comprehensively assess the ventilation methods and ventilation rates of livestock sheds, various livestock odor mitigation technologies, and the design flow rate of odor mitigation devices. The most efficient ventilation method for livestock odor control was found to be mechanical ventilation. When livestock odor is at its most severe during summer, ventilation systems are operated at the maximum ventilation rate, which is 5-25 times higher than the ventilation rate in winter. Therefore, the mitigation facilities of livestock odor must be designed while considering the maximum ventilation rate. There is a significant amount of research data on various livestock odor control technologies using various physical, chemical, biological, and complex technologies applied to livestock farms. Biofiltration and photocatalytic oxidation are considered the most promising methods due to their cost-effectiveness and simplicity. Biofiltration is effective for removing hydrophilic odors, but requires improvement for the efficient removal of hydrophobic odors and the control of accumulated excess biomass. The advantages of the photocatalytic oxidation method include its excellent hydrogen sulfide and ammonia removal rates and relatively low ozone emissions. However, it requires technology to reduce nitrous oxide emissions. Investment in installing and operating these odor mitigation technologies is only realistic for large-sized farms. Therefore, it is imperative for small and medium-sized livestock farms to develop odor mitigation technology that is inexpensive and has low installation, operation, and maintenance costs.

We conducted research on the removal performance of various odor substances using a deodorizing agent, hypochlorite ion (OCl-), in odor emission sites where various odor-causing substances occur simultaneously. In experiments treating odor gases containing mixtures of aldehydes (acetaldehyde, n-butyl aldehyde, iso-valeraldehyde, propionaldehyde), sulfur compounds (hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan, and dimethyl sulfide), and nitrogen compounds (ammonia and trimethyl amine), it was demonstrated that the introduced odor substances could be simultaneously removed when electrolyzed water was used. The overall removal efficiency was found to be significantly higher than when water alone was used. Particularly, it showed simultaneous effectiveness against acidic, neutral, and alkaline odor substances such as ammonia and hydrogen sulfide. Considering the positive aspects with regard to chemical safety, the use of salt instead of chemicals, and the continuous regeneration of the oxidizing agent, this environmentally friendly deodorization technology is expected to contribute to securing excellent odor removal capabilities and wide-ranging deodorization applications.

This study examines the correlation between livestock odor civil petitions and the establishment of malodor control areas in Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, focusing on swine farms where numerous civil petitions regarding malodors have been received. After the designation of the malodor control areas, high odor concentrations occurred in Aewoleup and Jocheon-eup, and the odor concentration decreased in other areas. The number of civil petitions shows a consistent annual trend, with increased petitions from March, peaking during summer (July and August), and decreasing from September into winter. In Jeju-si, there were many civil petitions in Hallim-eup and Aewol-eup where there were many malodor control areas. However, in Seogwipo-si, there were also many civil petitions in Pyoseonmyeon, where there is no malodor control area. Additionally, we compared the average multiple of compound malodors and the rate of exceeding the maximum allowable emission level for compound malodors with the number of livestock malodor civil petitions to assess the actual state of malodors. The results reveal a stronger correlation between the number of civil petitions and the rate of exceeding the compound malodors allowable emission level than the average multiple for compound malodors. These findings provide valuable insights into addressing livestock odor concerns and enhancing malodor control measures in Jeju Island.

The air dilution olfactory method to measure complex odors needs to store and carry odor samples from the field sampling until the analysis in laboratories. Until the analysis of sample in the laboratory, odor dilution factor (odor sensitivity) in the sample bag may decrease over time depending on the characteristics of each odor substances. This is one of the limitation for the air dilution olfactory method. Thus, the air dilution device enable to measure without loss in complex odors of samples. Recently, many studies on the performance test of on-site air dilution devices, i.e., field olfactometer, has been conducted to figure out the feasibility of the field olfactometers. In this study, seven odor samples were collected from five odor emission source sites. And comparative analysis with the air dilution olfactory method was carried out to assess the field applicability of the olfactometer. As results, the performance of the field olfactometer used in this study is regared as the affordable method. The dilution factors from between two methods showed the similar values, indicating low values of standard deviations. In order to ensure the accuracy and precision of measurement data using the field olfactometer, methodology minimized variables (that may affect measurement) needs to establish.

In this study, we analyzed the changes in concentrations of volatile fatty acids (VFA), phenols, and indoles, as well as odor contribution in pig slurry. The pig slurry was stored for approximately two months after the manure excretion of pigs which had been fed 3% level of peat moss additive. The investigation was carried out through lab-scale experiments simulating slurry pit conditions within pig house. Throughout the storage period, the concentration of VFA exhibited a tendency to be 11%-32% higher in the pig manure treated with peat moss as compared to the control group. From a concentration perspective, phenol and acetic acid accounted for the majority of the total odor compounds produced during the pig slurry storage period. However, their significance diminished when the concentration of odoros compounds are converted into odor activity value and odor contribution. Despite the odor reduction effect of the ammonia (NH3) adsorption by peat moss, if it cannot effectively reduce the high odor-contributing compounds such as indoles and p-cresol, the sole use of peat moss may not be considered an effective means of mitigating odors produced by pig slurry. According to this study, indoles, p-cresol, skatole, and valeric acid were consistently revealed as major odor-contributing substances during the two-month storage of pig slurry. Therefore, a comprehensive odor mitigation methodology should be proposed, taking into consideration the odor generation characteristics (including temporal concentration and odor contribution) of pig slurry-derived odors during storage.

This review comprehensively summarizes the livestock odor reduction method by dietary manipulation, in-housing management, and manure management. The gut microbial metabolism of animals can be stimulated by low-crude protein feeding and the addition of probiotics, enzymes, plant extracts, and/or organic acids to their feed. These methods can result in reduced odor emissions from manure. For in-housing management, it is important to maintain the proper breeding density in the barn facilities, regularly remove dust and manure, and periodically clean the barn facilities. A barn using litter on the floor can reduce odor at a relatively low cost by adding adsorbents such as zeolite, biochar, etc. Although masking agent spraying can be the simplest and quickest way to control odors, it is not a fundamental odor mitigation strategy. Odor emissions can be reduced by installing covers on manure slurry storage facilities or by acidifying the manure slurry. It is necessary to install a solid-liquid separator in an enclosed facility to minimize odor emissions. Other methods for reducing odor emissions include covering manure composting plants with semi-permeable membranes or using reactor composting technology. In order to minimize odor emissions in the liquid manure composting, sufficient oxygen must be supplied during the fermentation process. Furthermore, the odor reduction effect can be achieved through the liquid manure pit recharge system which supplies matured liquid manure fertilizer to the slurry pit in the pig house.

This study investigated the odor emission characteristics of fertilizer manufacturing facilities. The characteristics were evaluated by measuring the odor concentration at the outlet and site boundary of the complex fertilizer and organic fertilizer manufacturing facilities. The evaluation process utilized the air dilution sensory method and PTR-ToF-MS. The complex odor dilution factor ranged from 100 to 120 times at the outlet of the compound fertilizer manufacturing facility. Specifically, the concentrations of Ammonia and Aldehydes were relatively high as designated odor substances. For the organic fertilizer facility, the dilution factor for complex odors was measured up to a maximum of 3,000. And, designated odorants such as Ammonia and Hydrogen sulfide were measured at levels up to parts per million (ppm). The odor contribution assessment of the fertilizer manufacturing facilities showed that the complex fertilizer facility exhibited similar contributions from Aldehydes and Sulfur compounds. On the other hand, the organic fertilizer facility had the highest contribution of over 62% from Sulfur compounds. As odor substances are easily changed and diffused according to weather conditions, it is difficult to obtain representative data according to the measurement time. Therefore, if continuous monitoring of odorous substances is performed using equipment that can be measured in real time without pretreatment, it becomes feasible to identify odor emission sources and regional spatio-temporal distribution. This information would then serve as a basis for analyzing odorant contamination characteristics and establishing appropriate countermeasures.

This study assessed the measurement technique of odorous substances using a GC/MOS system with MOS sensor at the detector and the method detection limits were determined for odorous substances such as hydrogen sulfide, acetaldehyde, toluene, m,pxylene, and o-xylene. The portable GC/MOS system was able to separate and measure about 16 out of 22 odorous substances including sulfur compounds, aldehydes, and VOCs. The peak values for hydrogen sulfide, acetaldehyde, toluene, m,p-xylene, and o-xylene showed a nonlinear relationship with concentration and a correlation coefficient of 0.95 or higher was confirmed. The method detection limits for hydrogen sulfide, acetaldehyde, toluene, m.pxylene, and o-xylene using the portable GC/MOS system were determined to be 0.005, 0.023, 0.016, 0.004, and 0.051 ppm, respectively. It is expected that the system can measure odor samples with concentrations of least 50 ppb without additional pretreatment or concentration processes.