Odour Impact Assessment: a Combined Approach Based on the Emitting Source and the Receptor Site Analysis in a Case Study of a Waste Treatment Plant in the Municipality of Celico (italy)

Abstract

Odour nuisance can be arduous to objectify, above all if the sources and the territories are complex. Dispersion modelling is the technique of choice for the odour impact assessment but may have some limitations and needs validation of the results. In this study, citizens of municipalities adjacent to a landfill located in Celico (CS) in the Calabria Region (Italy) complained of odour nuisance attributable to the plant. To objectify the source of the odour and to determine the size of the impact, an integrated approach was designed combining traditional methods of assessment (prediction model) with the study of odour at receptors level, or rather in residential areas potentially impacted, through the installation of remote-activated sampling systems and the analysis of citizen complaints. Combining different methods is the key to strengthening knowledge and engaging communities, allowing to collect a lot of data while empowering citizens in science and odour pollution. A good congruence between the different methodologies was observed and model results were confirmed. The chemical composition of ambient air and observations reported by people stressed the importance of Volatile Fatty Acids (VFAs) in odour events.