Environmental monitorings

Dynamic olfactometry

The Olfactometric Laboratory of Progress S.r.l.

The Olfactometric Laboratory of Progress S.r.l. is the most important in Italy and one of the biggest in Europe. This is proved by the following facts:

• The Laboratory was the first to be founded in Italy (we are active since 1997!).
• The Laboratory is accredited by SINAL (accreditation no. 0544) according to the Norm UNI CEI EN ISO/IEC 17025:2005 for the execution of tests for the determination of odour concentration by dynamic olfactometry, according to the European Norm EN 13725:2003.
• The Laboratory, which is in continuous growth, now executes over 1500 olfactometric measurements per year.
• Progress S.r.l., in partnership with the Olfactometric Laboratory of the Politecnico di Milano, has always been in the forefront, not only in Italy and in Europe, as far as concerns the design and the realization of devices and methods for odour sampling.

Monitoring of odours with electronic noses

Continuous odour monitoring

Since 2003 Progress S.r.l. is working un the development and the use of electronic noses for the determination of the odour impact caused by an industrial plant by the continuous monitoring of odorous ambient air at specific receptors.

The electronic noses used for the monitorings, which are produced by SACMI and developed in collaboration with the researchers of the Politecnico of Milano, analyze the ambient air continuously and, in real-time, they enable to:

• Qualitatively classify the ambient air, by attributing it to a specific olfactory class;
• Quantify odour, by estimating the odour concentration of the analyzed air.

The monitorings with electronic noses are conducted by installing at least one instrument at the odour emission source (e.g. an industrial plant) and another one in the position where the odour impact has to be determined (e.g. a dwelling or any other location where odour nuisance caused by the considered source is lamented).

During the monitoring period, which may last from a minimum of 3-4 days to a maximum of 3-4 weeks, the electronic noses analyze the ambient air repeatedly, with the purpose of recognizing the odours from the considered emission source.

The monitoring results are represented by large tables that report the olfactory class and the odour concentration value (expressed in ouE/m3) attributed by the electronic noses to the analyzed air for each measurement carried out during the monitoring period. Based on the results of the monitoring it is possible to determine the odour impact relevant to the monitored source by calculating the time percentage during which the odours emitted from the considered source have been detected at the receptors, with respect to the monitoring total duration. If more odour sources are considered (belonging to one or more plants), the identification of the olfactory class that was recognized most frequently enables to identify the odour source which is mostly responsible for the odour impact determined by the electronic nose at the receptor.

A world wide innovative application

The use of electronic noses for the odour monitoring of the ambient air is absolutely innovative. Even though electronic noses are studied since the '80s, until the recent years, their applications were limited to the food industry. Only after 2000, the first studies regarding the possibility of applying electronic noses to the environmental sector have been published. Nonetheless, analogous systems to those used by Progress S.r.l for the senso-instrumental determination of the environmental impact at specific receptors do still not exist. The most innovative aspects connected to the execution of such kind of environmental monitoring are the following ones:

• The possibility of monitoring odours in the ambient air (at receptors). As the distance between the receptor and the emission point increases the dilution of the odorous compounds in the atmosphere, for the purpose of detecting and recognizing odours at receptors that are often located at a relatively great distance from the emission source, the electronic noses have been designed in order to be extremely sensitive.
• The possibility of determining the odour concentration of ambient air continuously. For this purpose, the electronic nose responses are correlated with the odour concentration values determined by dynamic olfactometry. From this point of view, electronic noses allow to go beyond one of the major limits of dynamic olfactometry alone, i.e. the impossibility of continuously monitoring the ambient air.

Click here to download the presentation document about odour monitorings with electronic noses

Monitoring of atmospheric emissions

Determination of emission parameters and environmental performances

Progress S.r.l. executes monitorings for the determination of environmental parameters relevant to atmospheric emissions, making use of reliable test laboratories. The following determinations can be carried out:

• All the determinations provided by the national legislative dispositions regarding atmospheric emissions, e.g.: nitrogen oxides, sulphur oxides, volatile organic compounds (VOC), dusts (particulate mater, PTS, PM10);
• Determination of the concentration of pollutants that in general may cause odour pollution, e.g.: hydrogen sulphide (H2S), ammonia (NH3), ammines, mercaptans, aromatic organic compounds;
• Determination of physical parameters of the emission (temperature, humidity, volumetric airflow, etc.).

The sampling operations are always executed or coordinated by the staff of Progress S.r.l., to the advantage of our customers, who can rely on a single supplier for all the environmental monitoring services.

Air quality monitoring

Determination of parameters relevant to the ambient air

Progress S.r.l. executes monitorings for the determination of air quality environmental parameters, making use of reliable test laboratories. The following determinations can be carried out:

• All the determinations provided by the national legislative dispositions about air quality; for the measurement of the environmental impact of landfills, industrial plants, vehicular trafiic emissions, etc.; or for the ante operam air quality evaluation;
• Determination of the concentration of pollutants that in general may cause odour pollution, e.g.: hydrogen sulphide (H2S), ammonia (NH3), ammines, mercaptans, aromatic organic compounds; parallely or in alternative we execute odour monitorings with electronic noses;
• Determination of meteorological parameters (wind speed and wind direction, air temperature, pressure, solar radiation, etc.) using a mobile station.

The determination can be carried out by making use of a highly equipped mobile laboratory.

The sampling operations are always executed or coordinated by the staff of Progress S.r.l., to the advantage of our customers, who can rely on a single supplier for all the environmental monitoring services.

Le operazioni di campionamento sono sempre eseguite e/o coordinate dal personale di Progress S.r.l., a vantaggio dei nostri Clienti, che possono cosė avvalersi di un unico fornitore per tutti i servizi di monitoraggio ambientale.