Comprehensive hygienic assessment of ambient air pollution in the area of food and processing industry enterprises’ location

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to assess atmospheric air pollution in a city where food and processing enterprises operate using a complex of instrumental, olfacto-odourimetric, calculated, and survey methods.
 Materials and methods. Analytical studies of ambient air pollution were performed using the FOCUS GC-DSQ-II chromatography-mass spectrometer. Olfacto-odourimetric studies of the presence and intensity of odour in the area of the enterprises were carried out in accordance with the method of organoleptic control downwind at various distances from sources. The measurement of the odour level at the discharge of the coffee extract spray dryer was carried out by dynamic olfactometry on the ECOMA TO-8 olfactometer. The calculation of odour dispersion was implemented according to a program using a methodology for calculating concentrations of harmful substances in ambient air.
 Results. It was established that at the time of the research, the source of a persistent specific odour reaching the residential area was a coffee production enterprise. Up to seventy eight volatile organic compounds in concentrations not exceeding hygienic standards have been identified in the ambient air in the area of the enterprise’s location. Field olfacto-odorimetric studies and the conducted dispersion calculation indicate an offensive odour to be capable of causing “annoyance” to the population (3 points or higher with a probability of ≥ 5% according to the results of field studies or ≥ 3.5 OU (odour units) according to the calculation results) spreads up to 4 km from the main source of emissions.
 Limitations. The main limitation of the study is the peculiarities of the operating mode of different enterprises, which makes it difficult to fully assess the environmental situation in the area of their location at the time of the research.
 Conclusion. The results of these studies indicate the use of various methodological approaches (field olfacto-odorimetric measurements, calculation of odour dispersion), along with conducting population surveys, to significantly expand the possibilities of instrumental analysis for an objective assessment of ambient air pollution by complex multicomponent mixtures of odorous substances.