Odour Monitoring Ireland Limited IPPC licenced stack emissions

Air Scientific Ltd is accredited to ISO 17025 by INAB for all parameters required by the EPA, as per Policy on Monitoring of Stack Emissions to Air at EPA Licensed Sites.

For more details on our accredited services and the scope of accreditation, please visit
 Air Scientific Limited

Odour Measurement

 

The odour concentration of a gaseous sample is determined by presentation to a trained panel in varying dilutions. The odour concentration is expressed in multiples of European Odour Units (OUE). This analysis technique provides directly comparable data for different odour types, and can be used for input into dispersion models to determine odour impact in terms of annoyance and abatement efficiency assessments.

Olfactometry measurement services in accordance with European Standard ISO 13725:2003 in our odour free laboratory located in County Meath.

These include:

  • Odour threshold concentration determination- used for the determination of odour emission rates from point, area and volume sources for the calculation of input data to atmospheric dispersion modelling software.
  • Odour Intensity determination- used for the assessment of odour abatement technologies and for the development of odour impact criteria.
  • Hedonic tone determination - used for the determination of unpleasantness/pleasantness of an odour at increasing concentrations. Commonly used in the food, beverage and perfume industry.
  • Odour quality -used to allocate a known odour quality to an odour emission/immision. For example this odour smells like eggs, flowers, turnips, etc.
  • Sniff squads -Using trained sniff squads the odour impact area and odour sources can be determined. This may also be used for model verification.

 

Air Pollution Control & Consultancy Services

Odour Monitoring Ireland provides:

  • Biological odour abatement equipment, commissioning, validation and optimisation service.
  • Chemical and physical odour abatement technology validation and optimisations service.
  • Process and ambient air quantitative and qualitative analyses to estimate best abatement technology implementation using gas chromatography mass spectrometry and/or handheld instrumentation (mobile detectors such as FID's, etc.).
  • Project management of odour abatement plant installation and commissioning.
  • Life cycle cost analysis and energy balance of proposed odour abatement plant implementation which has become more important in terms of Operational costs.

Our extensive experience ranges across a number of key technologies including:

  • Dry and wet particulate filtration,
  • Dry chemical scrubbing systems including annular bed carbon filtration plants,
  • Fixed bed and moving liquid film biofiltration systems,
  • Thermal treatment systems such as Regenerative thermal oxidisers and Flameless thermal oxidisers,
  • Wet chemical scrubbing systems,
  • Non thermal plasma and Ozonation techniques,
  • Ductwork layout.

Dispersion Modelling


Atmospheric dispersion modelling is the mathematical simulation of how air pollutants disperse in the ambient atmosphere. It is performed with computer programs that solve the mathematical equations and algorithms which simulate the pollutant dispersion. The dispersion models are used to estimate or to predict the downwind concentration of air pollutants emitted from sources such as industrial plants and vehicular traffic. The models are typically employed to determine whether existing or proposed new industrial facilities are or will be in compliance with the regulatory guidelines. The models also serve to assist in the development of effective control strategies to reduce emissions of harmful air pollutants to acceptable levels.

Currently, the most robust methodology for assessment of the levels of exposure from odorous processes is to utilise atmospheric dispersion modeling techniques. Through careful consideration, an appropriate odour criterion (expressed in terms of concentration and frequency of exposure e.g. 3.0 OuE/m3 at the 98th percentile of hourly averages) can be applied to the output of the dispersion model to predict the area where potential odour annoyance may occur.

Odour Monitoring Ireland provides:

  • Odour dispersion modeling service utilising AERMOD Prime, Calpuff, ISC Prime and ADMS.
  • DGPS mapping of site and residences for input data to the dispersion model.
  • Terrain data development for input data to dispersion model in complex terrain.
  • On-site meteorological station set-up for long-term odour assessment.
  • Abatement system sizing and assessment utilising dispersion modelling software.

We have an extensive database of synoptic meteorological station data for use in the dispersion model with a minimum of 3 to 5 years of hourly sequential met data used within model runs.

Stack Monitoring

Odour Monitoring Ireland Limited subcontracts all IPPC licenced stack emissions work through its 17025 accredited air emissions monitoring sister company, Air Scientific Limited INAB 319T

For more information click on the Air Scientific logo below

ASL is accredited to ISO 17025 by INAB Air Scientific Ltd is accredited to ISO 17025 by INAB for all parameters required by the EPA, as per Policy on Monitoring of Stack Emissions to Air at EPA Licensed Sites. For more details on our accredited services and the scope of accreditation,

Please visit Air Scientific Limited https://www.airscientific.ie/

Fugitive Emissions Survey

Fugitive emissions are unintended leaks of gases or vapours from pressurized industrial equipment. For industries that use or produce gases and chemicals that are hazardous to humans or the environment, fugitive emissions can be especially dangerous to workers, the community, and the environment.

Odour Monitoring Ireland Ltd. provides fugitive emissions surveys in accordance with EN15446:2008 utilising both traditional techniques such as flame ionisation detection and more advanced techniques including optical gas imaging

Odour Monitoring Ireland Ltd. offers optical gas imaging (OGI) surveys. OGI represents ground-breaking technology for visualizing fugitive hydrocarbon leaks at natural gas well sites, liquid natural gas terminals, chemical storage facilities and more. “Optical gas imaging cameras are a versatile tool, promoting efficient facility operations and responsible corporate citizenship by quickly identifying gas leaks, confirming vented emissions and accurately quantifying bothAnhalt, 2022. There are number of benefits using an OGI camera over traditional emissions monitoring techniques. The OGI scans broader areas that may be difficult to access. Vapour leaks are displayed from a safe distance as a plume in the infrared image.

Standard EN 15446:2008: This standard applies to the measurement of fugitive emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from process equipment. The leak sources include, but are not limited to, valves, flanges and other connections, pressure relief devices, process drains, open-ended valves, pump and compressor seal systems, agitator seals, and access door seals. The standard is based on the measurement of the gas concentration at the interface of a leak. This concentration is measured with a portable instrument which is converted to a mass emission rate by use of a set of correlations. The scope of this standard includes the complete data processing, from the initial concentration measurement up to the generation of an emission report over a reporting period. This standard does not prescribe the number of potential emission points that should be screened each year nor the frequency at which these points should be screened. This sampling strategy shall indeed take into account the plant characteristics and the required level of control over fugitive emissions.

Surface Emissions Surveys

Odour Monitoring Ireland Ltd. Preform surface emissions surveys in accordance with Air Guidance Note 6.

Efforts should be made to attain surface emissions <100 ppm from open surfaces and <500 ppm around features such as vertical wells, leachate collection sumps, leachate slope risers and other projections out of the waste body (Casey et al., 2008). These are minimum standards, which should lead to greater facility collection efficiencies thus reducing the impact on the general environment.

Building leakage and under-pressure surveys

Building under pressure illustrates the strength of an air extraction system. The average static under pressure on the building can be recorded over a period of 5 minutes and the average value reported. The measurement of building pressure will determine whether the building is under negative pressure and whether odour leakage is likely to occur from the building during routine operation.

 Smoke testing

Some building may not be built to contain odours. Odour-proof’ buildings and containers are crucial for odour detection and management. Careful testing is needed to ensure that weak points in the construction are not allowing odours to escape. Even in extreme examples, you cannot detect odour containment issues using sight alone. Smoke testing involves filling a building with oil vapour to detect odour leakage points, as a precursor to remedial action. We fill the building with visible oil vapour using smoke generators, which takes around 90 minutes. Our specialists then record any evidence of leakages using photographs and video. Typically, we carry out the process twice. Once with the air-extraction system and ventilation systems operational and a second time without.

For further information please contact Dr. John Casey Or Dr. Brian Sheridan

Medium Combustion Directive – What you need to know

The Medium Combustion Plant (MCP) Directive ((EU) 2015/2193) was adopted in 2015 to limit emissions to atmosphere from boilers and other stationary combustion plants in the 1-50 MWTH range. It covers all fuel types.

The Directive limits the level of emissions allowable from new combustion plants from 2018, while operators of existing MCPs will have longer to comply with stricter emission standards.

The main motivation for the new legislation is the reduction of the impacts on human health from air pollution. According to the preamble to the Directive, ‘scientific assessments show that the average lifetime loss for citizens of the Union due to air pollution is eight months’, while the European Environment Agency has estimated that there were in excess of 500,000 premature deaths attributable to air pollution (from sources including MCPs) across the EU in 2013. 1,600 of these were attributed in Ireland.

A second driver for the Directive is the fact that certain pollutants – notably sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) – damage vegetation and reduce biodiversity.

In formulating the Directive, European authorities have sought to fill a regulatory gap in the control of emissions from combustion plants. The gap had arisen between the parallel evolution of separate regulatory frameworks for very large and very small combustion plants: large combustion plants (i.e. those >50 MWTH) are covered by chapter III of the Industrial Emissions Directive (2010/75/EC), and previously by the Large Combustion Plant Directive, while small combustion plants (up to 500 kWTH) are covered by the Ecodesign Directive (2009/125/EC).

The new Directive seeks to address the regulatory gap for combustion plants in the 1-50 MWTH range. The European Commission believes this can be done cost-effectively using current technology.

The Directive covers all types of stationary combustion plants in the 1-50 MWTH range, including boilers, furnaces, engines and gas turbines. While it is primarily aimed at stationary combustion plants, it also includes certain ‘mobile’ plants, such as portable electrical generators used on construction sites and for temporary power supplies. Such combustion plants are deemed to be stationary when in operation.

The Directive covers all fuel types, including biomass, solid fossil fuels, gasoil, natural gas and other solid, liquid and gaseous fuels. The European Commission estimates that there are approximately 143,000 MCPs in the EU.

Emissions from vehicles, including non-road vehicles, are specifically excluded from the Directive. Back-up electricity generators that have low run hours can be exempted from the main provisions.

The following are the main obligations on MCP operators:

  • Each MCP operation must be either registered with a designated competent authority, or hold a valid permit.
  • The MCP must comply with emission limit values (ELVs) for SO2, NOxand dust, by dates specified in the Directive (see below).
  • Operators must provide information to the competent authority for the purposes of registration or permitting.
  • Emissions (SO2, NOx, dust and carbon monoxide (CO)) must be monitored every 3 years for plants up to 20 MWTH, or annually for plants greater than 20 MWTH. Our in-house stack emissions measurement company is fully certified to perform these types of measurements.

ELVs for SO2, NOx and dust for different combinations of fuel type, plant size (above/below 5 MWTH) and age (new/existing) are set out in five tables in Annex II of the Directive, each of which is accompanied by detailed footnotes that clarify and, in some cases, modify the ELVs for specific applications. The European Commission has indicated that it may establish ELVs for CO in due course. Our in-house stack emissions measurement company is fully certified to perform these types of measurements.

Member States can set stricter ELVs than those in the Directive where they believe that local air quality standards may be compromised.

The Directive came into force in the EU in December 2015 and must be transposed into national legislation by December 2017. The following are the key deadlines:

  • December 2018: all new MCPs must meet the ELVs for new plants.
  • January 2024: existing MCPs >5 MWTHmust be registered or hold a permit.
  • January 2025: existing MCPs >5 MWTHmust meet relevant ELVs.
  • January 2029: existing MCPs ≤5 MWTHmust be registered or hold a permit.
  • January 2030: existing MCPs ≤5 MWTHmust meet relevant ELVs.

It is likely that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will be the competent authority in Ireland. The Department of Communications, Climate Action & Environment’s consultation on the transposition of the Directive into Irish legislation concluded in late September 2017.

All operators should ensure that they understand the obligations of the transposed Directive in the jurisdiction(s) in which they operate. In particular, they should familiarise themselves with the ELVs that apply to them, determine whether they can meet them and assess whether they can avail of derogations that could reduce or eliminate the need for plant retrofits or replacements.

Operators planning to buy or install new combustion plants in the 1-50 MWTH range before December 2018 should ensure that they are aware of the emission control and permitting requirements for their new plants and ensure that all new plants are specified to meet the ELVs set out in Annex II (part 2) of the Directive.

For operators of existing MCPs, achieving compliance could ultimately entail retrofitting abatement technologies, fuel switching, plant replacement, and/or other technical measures. Operators of existing plants in the 5-50 MWTH range should, over the next few years, monitor their stack gas emissions to assess their current emissions of SO2, NOx, dust and CO. These operators have several years to identify and implement strategies for ensuring that their MCP units comply with the ELVs set out in Annex II (part 1) by January 2025.

While the operators of smaller plants (1-5 MWTH) should adopt a similar approach, the deadline for compliance with the ELVs is 2030, so there is less urgency for them.

Air Services

Occupational air assessments

The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002 places a duty on to employers to undertake assessments to evaluate the risks to health when using hazardous substances in the workplace.

Odour Monitoring Ireland Ltd. has extensive experience of undertaking Workplace Exposure Monitoring, including dust, fume and vapour, in a wide range of industrial and manufacturing environments.

Using current sampling methodology and equipment we can undertake comprehensive Workplace Exposure Monitoring for industrial and commercial clients throughout Ireland and Northern Ireland, that meets all current HSA guidelines. Our Workplace Exposure Monitoring can measure employee exposure as well as background levels of hazardous dusts, vapours and fumes including:

·         Inhalable Dust

·         Lead

·         Amines

·         Man-made Mineral Fibre

·         Solvents

·         Crystalline Silica

·         Chromium

·         Respirable Dust

·         Cadmium

·         Oil Mist

·         Aldehydes (inc Formaldehyde)

·         Ammonia

·         Welding Fume

·         Wood Dust

·         Colophony

·         Isocyanates

With detailed reporting you’ll be able to put the appropriate levels of protection in place to ensure your workers avoid exposure to hazardous substances that could cause a wide range of health issues. Our staff are fully trained and experienced in all aspects of monitoring, and provide personal monitoring surveys for your employees to determine their levels of exposure to hazardous dust, fumes, mists, fibres and chemicals, as well as the appropriate use and suitability of provided RPE (Respiratory Protective Equipment).

Contact us for effective and affordable air monitoring and we’ll help you to safeguard your workers and site visitors, as well as assist you in meeting compliance requirements under the most current legislation. It’s the responsibility of every employer to assess any risks to staff and visitors, and without accurate air monitoring you cannot know who is at risk during your manufacturing processes.

Bioaerosol monitoring

A bioaerosol is a biological aerosol. These particles are very small and range in size from less than one micrometer (0.00004″) to one hundred micrometers (0.004″). Bioaerosols react to air currents and move quickly or slowly depending on the environment. Bioaerosols are impacted by gravity but due to their size air density and air currents play a large role in their movement. Air often contains tiny organisms such as fungi, bacteria, mycotoxins and viruses. None of these organisms live in the air but they are often attached to other small particles such as dried residues from water droplets, dust, soil or skin flakes. Groups of the small organisms clump up and enhance survival while airborn. Due to evaporation of water, bacterial cells usually die when they become airborn but under high humidity conditions bioaerosol levels are increased. Fungal cells such as spores, molds and yeast can be active at low humidity levels and high or low temperatures.

Many techniques are used to collect bioaerosols such as collection plates, electrostatic collectors and impactors, although some methods are experimental in nature.

Odour Monitoring Ireland provides bioaerosol monitoring services.

Ambient air monitoring

Odour Monitoring Ireland Ltd. offer a range of ambient air monitoring services including the following:

  • Ambient particulate matter PM10 and PM5 dust monitoring in accordance with EN12341,
  • Bergerhoff dust monitoring,
  • Diffusion tube monitoring for Nitrogen dioxide and Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), Sulphur dioxide, Benzene, Toluene, Xylene & Ethyl Benzene.

Odour Monitoring Ireland Ltd. can customise a sampling plan and methodology to suit your requirements. Customised plans can be applied to a range of emissions sources from traffic pollution, landfill, agricultural, biogas, composting and industrial emissions. 

Call us today on

+353 46 9437922

Email us on

info@odourireland.ie