New international handbook on the assessment of odour exposure using dispersion modelling

A new development towards the first worldwide guideline on the assessment of odour exposure by using dispersion modelling is taking its first steps. At this stage, there are many initiatives around the world related to odour dispersion modelling but there is no specific handbook or guidance document for odour modelling to our knowledge. Modelling odours is complex and many of the guidelines on modelling published around the world fall short in treating this vector. Odour modelling often requires forgetting traditional dispersion modelling operating modes and focusing on exposure. Odours are perceived in seconds or minutes, not hours, and this is key in calculating their impact in the ambient air. Most odour incidents are generated during calm or very low wind speeds which do not facilitate the dispersion of an odour and that makes modelling extremely challenging. Development of this guideline is an initiative promoted by over 50 experts around the globe in the area of modelling odours. The group is led by Carlos Diaz (Spain), Jennifer Barclay (New Zealand) and Günther Schauberger (Austria). The first meeting took place in August 2020, and there are planned monthly meetings. The aim of this paper is to report on the advances being made for this initiative.