Definition and Application of a Protocol for Electronic Nose Field Performance Testing: Example of Odor Monitoring from a Tire Storage Area

Abstract

Odor pollution is nowadays recognized as a serious environmental concern. Italy still lacks a national regulation about odors, but several regions issued specific guidelines and regulations regarding odor emissions management, which combine olfactometric measurements with dispersion modeling for assessing odor impacts and verifying compliance with acceptability criteria. However, in cases of variable or diffuse sources, this approach is sometimes hardly applicable, because odor emission rates can hardly be estimated. In such cases, electronic noses, or more generally, Instrumental Odor Monitoring Systems (IOMS), represent a suitable solution for direct odor measurement. Accordingly, IOMS are explicitly mentioned in the most recent regional regulations as advanced tools for odor impact assessment. In Italy, data from instrumental odor monitoring have started to have regulatory value; thus the need arises to have specific quality programs to ensure and verify the reliability of IOMS outcomes. This paper describes the monitoring by a commercial electronic nose (EOS507F) of odors from an area dedicated to tire storage, a diffuse source with variable emissions over time, for which dispersion modeling is not applicable. The paper proposes also a protocol for IOMS performance testing in the field, to provide experimental data to support technical groups working on standardization both on the national and European level.

Implementation of an electronic nose for real -time identification of odour emission peaks at a wastewater treatment plant

“…Training consists in the creation of a dataset including samples having the characteristic “patterns” of the odours that the instrument is expected to be exposed to during the monitoring phase [ 37 ]. It is worthy highlighting that an inappropriate training might compromise the EN performance and result in misclassifications or under/over-estimations of the concentrations of the odours detected [ 38 , 39 ].…”

Advancements and Prospects of Electronic Nose in Various Applications: A Comprehensive Review

“…Carmen Bax et al [127] present a notable advancement in odor monitoring using the EOS507F electronic nose (SACMI, Imola, Italy), developed in collaboration with the Olfactometric Laboratory of Politecnico di Milano (Figure 6). Their research is centered around developing and implementing a performance testing protocol for Instrumental Odor Monitoring Systems (IOMS).…”

Using Citizen Science to Manage Odour Emissions in National IED Plants: A Systematic Review of the Scientific Literature

“…Hence, research has also moved forward to the dimension of e-noses [48,49]. Enoses generally include advanced sensors and software components, allowing the monitoring of odours continuously or/and in limited accessible areas of the industrial sites.…”