Real-time Odour Dispersion Modelling for Industrial Sites Application: State of the Art and Future Perspectives

In the field of odour impact assessments resulting from industrial activities, the use of atmospheric dispersion models appears to be crucial. These mathematical tools are able to estimate the ambient air odour concentration at the receptors nearby a plant, as indicated in some guidelines and laws. Generally, the odour concentration is evaluated through emission olfactometry monitoring, and subsequently, based on the dispersion modelling software, impact maps are created at specific percentiles (odour concentrations that are reached for a certain number of hours a year). However, in this way, it is not possible to know the specific odour event as it occurs; therefore, it would be ideal to have a real-time estimation of the odour fallout in the plant's surroundings. Currently, there exist some scientific papers and several commercial which propose some kind of real-time odour monitoring. Overall, these tools aim to monitor the odour events that occur on-site in real-time and to model atmospheric dispersion. The present work seeks to summarise what is currently available for real-time estimation of odour emission and dispersion, with the purpose of highlighting the potential, the eventual limitations, and the principal aspects to be studied and investigated. These considerations may help to develop a newer approach in order to stimulate the research towards the highest possible accuracy of these systems.