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Wastewater odour monitoring and control systems

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ENVIRA has developed a solution for monitoring odours in wastewater treatment plants that allows WWTP managers to know the origin of these odours, their dispersion, to alert the plant operator about pollution values that may affect the population, to detect inefficiencies in the plant and to take measures accordingly.

Odour monitoring at wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is essential both for the operational management of the facilities and for the quality of life of the surrounding communities.

Monitoring gas emissions from a WWTP helps to eliminate many of the inconveniences associated with the day-to-day operation of WWTPs.

Benefits of odour monitoring in WWTPs

Social impact

Monitoring and controlling odours minimises the potential for conflict with the community, provides transparent information about odour pollution and reduces complaints from neighbours.

Public health preservation

Public health preservation

The emission of toxic compounds from wastewater treatment can have adverse health effects, and early detection allows preventive action to be taken.

Environmental footprint

Environmental footprint

Early identification of odour sources enables the implementation of measures to prevent air pollution and promote environmental sustainability.

Process optimisation

Process optimisation

Continuous odour monitoring can identify areas of the water treatment process where operational problems exist, allowing improvements to be implemented effectively.

What causes odours in sewage treatment plants?

Odour nuisance in WWTPs is a very common problem caused by various factors related to the wastewater treatment processes.

The main gases causing unpleasant odours in WWTPs are:

Hydrogen sulphide (H2S), one of the most characteristic compounds due to its rotten egg smell.
Ammonia (NH3) and amines, generated during the decomposition of nitrogenous organic matter, has a pungent and irritating odour.
Mercaptans: also known as thiols or thioalcohols, they are characterised by very unpleasant odours and low detection thresholds.
Volatile fatty acids (VFAs), such as butyric acid and propionic acid, contribute to rancid and unpleasant odours.

causa malos olores depuradoras

Measuring and controlling odours at wastewater plants

Since WWTPs are a source of odour emissions due to the various biological and chemical processes that are carried out in them, it is important to have an odour measurement and control system that provides objective data and makes it possible to identify possible leaks or failures in the wastewater treatment processes.

In the absence of specific legislation in most regions, two methods are the most commonly used for odour monitoring in wastewater treatment plants:

Dynamic olfactometry, an analytical method that quantifies odour intensity in terms of concentration and analysed by trained assessors. This method, although it allows odours to be detected at very low levels to assess the real impact, is subjective and requires controlled conditions to carry out the tests.

Continuous monitoring with specific air quality measurement systems allows the detection, measurement and management of odorous compound emissions proactively and in real time.

By continuously measuring the concentrations of odour-causing gases, these instruments provide accurate, real-time data.

The customized alert system warns when the concentration of a gas exceeds set levels, enabling rapid response to incidents and effective decision making regarding odour emissions, improving air quality and reducing the impact on surrounding communities.

Data display and analysis

Continuous monitoring systems allow the location of areas with the highest odour emissions and the precise identification of specific odour sources within the WWTP, such as settling tanks, sludge digesters, aeration systems, etc.

By providing continuous, real-time data, the relative impact of different processes and areas within the WWTP can be assessed and immediate adjustments to plant operations can be made to reduce odours and their impact on the surrounding community.

depuradora lodos

Influence of weather

By integrating meteorological stations that provide information on wind speed, wind direction, temperature and humidity, it is possible to correlate odour concentrations with meteorological conditions and to understand and predict how they affect odour dispersion in the environment.

In this way, meteorological patterns can be identified and preventive measures taken.

equipo meteorológico

Deodorisation performance

Monitoring the performance of deodorisation systems (biofilters, washing towers, scrubbers, etc.) makes it possible to evaluate their effectiveness and quickly detect any failure or reduction in the efficiency of odour control systems.

It also allows the operating parameters of the deodorisation systems to be optimised, thereby improving their performance and efficiency.

Rendimiento de la desodorización

Predictive behavior modeling

Data collection and predictive analytics can predict odour episodes based on historical data in different operational and meteorological scenarios.

Early warning settings indicate increases in odour levels before they become a significant problem, allowing corrective action to be taken proactively.

Predicción de comportamientos

Products for monitoring odors at water treatment plants

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