Odor Control with Plant Based Micronutrients! By Derk Maat Offensive Odors generated by landfills, wastewater plants, transfer stations, food waste receptacles, garbage trucks, yard waste and food waste composting operations(both industrial and consumer back yard composters) sewer systems, pumping stations all have been and are a challenge in urban environments as our cities continue to grow in density. Stormwater combined sewer overflow facilities and canals are also many times a source of odors. Agricultural operations including beef/dairy/hog and poultry prow and processing operations often bordering urban populations also generate odors that are impacting small towns, rural residents and larger urban areas. Source separation of garbage into separate containers for food waste/ plastic/paper/ refuse etc for pickup works to an extent for single family home owners but is a significant challenge for condo and apartment dwellers as food waste bins are an identified source of odor in every single/multifamily dwelling. Measurement of offensive fugitive odors has grown into a significant business component in the environmental sector spawning new innovative technology to address the problem. Drone based sampling devices have now been developed to measure odors above and around industrial facilities. There has been significant progress in measuring and quantifying and source identification of odors generating nuisance complaints from the public to the regulatory agencies. Landfills and Wastewater Treatment Plants pose many odor challenges Regulatory agencies are now able to identify facilities and plants responsible for odor generation and these facilities to deal with odor related problems. Property values of residential and commercial development are often impacted by the potential/existing/perceived odors coming from neighbouring plants and facilities. There is a significant incentive now to measure and mitigate fugitive offensive odors. As a result of economic pressures and technological developments in measuring and quantifying odors mitigation of offensive fugitive odors has also become a significant business component of the environmental sector spawning new technological developments. Management of is a challenge for all systems/plants dealing with organic waste streams. Current Odor Control Technology To date most of the new technology being developed is based on chemical breakdown of odors using UV, carbon, Ozone and biological filtration of odors.
generation and odor complaints from lagoons containing effluent from ethanol plants, paper mills, septic tank sludges, hog manure to cherry processing facilities ranging in volume from 500m3 to 45,000m3. Innoculation of 2% solids sludges from paper mills and wastewater plants prior to dewatering has reduced odors 80-90% and eliminated the need for large biofilters, scrubbers and contaminated air treatment facilities by reducing and/or eliminating the generation of odors at source. In conclusion, the use of micronutrient solutions for odor source control and odor abatement and stimulation of beneficial biodegradation mechanisms represents an alternative innovative but proven environmentally sustainable approach. Plant Based Micronutrient Environmental Certifications The plant based micronutrient products utilized in the applications cited in this article are manufactured and sold by Scicorp International Corp under the BIOLOGIC SRC/SRC3 brand. BIOLOGIC SRC products have been tested and certified non-toxic by a leading toxicity laboratory (TOX Monitor/BSR, Inc. Illinois USA). The product is also certified within the Ecologo/UL program, North America’s largest most respected environmental standard and certification mark. The product has been recently branded by a waste management company and is being marketed as an odor control product for controlling odors from Green Bin food waste containers used by householders in the consumer market in North America. Derk Z. Maat, M.Eng.,P.Eng., is the CEO of Maat Environmental Engineering. derk@maatenv.com