Accredited odour testing laboratory for industrial emissions

Measure and analyse industrial odour emissions with accredited laboratory testing and olfactometer.

The Odour Laboratory supports companies that must measure and document odour emissions from industrial activities, production sites, restaurants or technical installations. The need typically arises when companies must demonstrate compliance with environmental approval, respond to authority requirements or investigate the origin and strength of odours.

Documentation and management of odour emissions

Odour emissions can lead to complaints from surrounding communities and may require documented measurements to confirm emission levels or assess mitigation measures. By measurement, analysis and consultancy, the laboratory provides a documented basis for dialogue with authorities, environmental reporting and evaluation of odour control measures. The service is part of our catalogue within measurements of air, odour and emissions.

Person leaning towards a laboratory device while assessing odour samples as part of an odour panel test. — Odour panel performing sensory evaluation of air samples under controlled laboratory conditions.

Target group and benefits

Supporting industrial companies and facility operators that must measure and document odour emissions

The odour laboratory supports companies, plant operators and organisations that need to assess airborne odour emissions from operational activities. Typical users work with environmental documentation or compliance with environmental permits. The laboratory can measure odour emissions to document compliance with limit values, investigate reported odour nuisance or assess changes in emissions following technical modifications to production or process systems.

Use of measurement results in practice

The results are used in environmental reporting, technical evaluations and dialogue with authorities regarding emission levels or operating conditions. The laboratory also performs customised analyses when companies need to investigate odour from specific materials.

Discuss odour measurement needs with our specialists

Contact the odour laboratory to discuss sampling, measurement and analysis of odour emissions and determine the appropriate testing approach for your facility.

Use cases

Measure and document odour emissions to support environmental compliance, investigations and evaluation of odour reduction measures.

Compliance documentation for odour emissions

Odour measurements are used to document compliance with odour limit values defined in environmental permits or legislation. Air samples are collected from emission sources such as chimneys and analysed using olfactometry. The results are used in OML dispersion modelling and provide documentation of odour concentrations for use in environmental reporting or dialogue with authorities.

Verification of odour reduction measures

Assess the effect of odour-reduction technologies, such as biofilters, carbon filters and odour scrubbers, by comparing measured odour emissions before and after implementation. This use case supports technical evaluation of installed solutions and provides a documented basis for judging whether the chosen mitigation measure reduces airborne odour under operating conditions.

Investigation of odour from specific sources or materials

Analyse odour from specific materials, products or process streams when the source or character of the odour must be documented. This may include odour when the wind blows over a wastewater system, or packaging or products with residual odour from manufacturing. The results support investigations into the odour's origin, strength and the relevance of further technical or operational follow-up.

Facility specifications

Get access to accredited laboratory facilities for sampling and panel-based evaluation of industrial odour emissions.

Instrument setup for sampling and analysis

The laboratory includes equipment for sampling and analysing odour samples from industrial emission sources. The instruments support controlled collection and handling of air samples prior to analysis under defined laboratory conditions.

Trained odour panel

Odour evaluation is performed by a trained odour panel consisting of at least four persons. Panellists are selected from the general population and tested against the reference substance n-butanol. Their odour detection threshold must fall within the limits defined in the standard for odour analysis to be considered suitable.

Olfactometer for odour concentration measurement

The laboratory is equipped with a dynamic olfactometer used to determine odour concentration by controlled dilution of air samples. The system enables presentation of samples to multiple panellists under repeatable conditions and supports calculation of odour concentration expressed in odour units per cubic metre (OU/m³).

Workshop for odour bag production

The facility includes a workshop for producing odour sampling bags used to collect and transport air samples from emission sources to the laboratory.

Facility setup

Configure sampling procedures, laboratory analysis and panel testing to evaluate odour emissions from different sources and materials.

Source sampling of odour emissions

Air samples are collected from emission sources such as stacks or other defined release points. The samples are captured in odour bags that preserve the air's composition until analysis.

Controlled dilution and presentation of samples

Collected samples are connected to the olfactometer, where the sample air is diluted with clean air in a controlled sequence before being presented to the odour panel. The instrument performs an automated series of dilutions.

Panel-based odour detection procedure

During analysis, panellists are exposed to a sequence of diluted samples and indicate when the odour becomes detectable. The dilution level at detection is used to determine the odour concentration of the sample.

Odour character assessment

Panellists may also describe the perceived odour character, such as rotten, chemical or sweet, providing additional context for interpretation of emission sources.

Standards

Supports accredited odour sampling and analysis according to recognised laboratory and odour measurement standards.

ContentDS/EN ISO/IEC 17025:2017

Specifies general requirements for the competence, impartiality and consistent operation of testing and calibration laboratories. The Odour Laboratory is accredited under DANAK accreditation 51 in accordance with this standard.

DS/EN 13725:2022

Defines the method for determining odour concentration using dynamic olfactometry and human assessors. The laboratory performs odour analyses in accordance with the procedures described in this standard.

MEL-13 – Danish Environmental Protection Agency method sheet

The MEL-13 method describes procedures for sampling and measuring odour emissions from gaseous sources. It includes guidance for sampling from point sources and is commonly applied in conjunction with olfactometry measurements.

Locations

Find our accredited odour measurement and laboratory analysis facilities here

Brøndby

Park Allé 345

2605 Brøndby

Phone: +45 43 25 00 00

E-mail: info@forcetechnology.com

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Reach out to Jacob Mønster for more information.