What are the most common odour sources in Hungary?

In Hungary, the odours causing the most significant nuisance typically come from sources where organic matter decomposes.

These include wastewater treatment plants, composting plants, landfills, and processors of animal carcasses and animal waste.

In addition, activities related to agriculture and livestock farming also involve significant odour emissions. Biodegradable biological waste generated in livestock farming and the organic manure used in crop production can also be sources of disturbing odours.

The resulting environmental burden, the unpleasant odour impact that develops around the source as a result of odour emissions, can be regarded as one of the air pollution effects that is hardest to measure and assess, and also the hardest to manage from a regulatory point of view.

Based on Hungarian experience, the most common odour sources in residential areas are:

• restaurants and entertainment venues with hot kitchens;

• fast-food restaurants, open-view bakeries;

• small food-processing plants, slaughterhouses;

• paint shops, paint factories;

• sewer networks, sewage pumping stations, wastewater treatment plants

• waste transport, waste collection yards, waste transfer stations

• small-scale livestock keeping within built-up areas.

The most common odour sources outside residential areas, mostly engaged in larger-scale production and processing and therefore with a greater odour emission potential, are:

• waste treatment and recovery facilities (landfills, waste sorting plants, composting sites, biogas plants, animal by-product processors);

• wastewater treatment facilities;

• livestock farms;

• crop production during nutrient replenishment and manure spreading;

• food-industry facilities processing plant and animal products;

• crude oil refining;

• chemical plants.

Identifying odour sources

Once the odours have been identified, the odour source itself must be pinpointed. Beyond determining the odours and the odour concentration, it is also necessary to investigate the origin of the odours and to clearly identify the emission source causing the disturbing environmental odour impact.

Odour testing

Although chromatographic tests alone are not suitable for measuring the odour concentration of odour-polluted air, they make it possible to qualitatively identify the organic pollutants in an air sample and to determine the concentration ratios of individual pollutant components, which are characteristic of particular odour sources and technologies. Chromatographic tests can therefore complement the official results measured by olfactometric testing with useful data.

When do we need to deal with the odours generated at our site/plant/company? Where is odour protection needed at all?

What we can say for certain is that for the economic activities listed in the annex of Ministry of Rural Development (VM) Decree 4/2011 (I. 14.) (on air pollution level limit values and emission limit values for stationary point sources of air pollution), attention must always be paid to preventing environmental pollution by odour.

In Hungary, the basic questions of odour emissions and of assessing and preventing disturbing environmental odour impact are addressed by Government Decree 306/2010 (XII. 23.) on the protection of air. The decree states that it is prohibited to burden the air with odour that disturbs the population. In this context, it stipulates that activities involving odour may only be carried out using the best available technique.

If even this does not prevent the air from being burdened with odour that disturbs the population, further technical requirements may be imposed, such as the use of odour reduction equipment.

If preventing the air from being burdened with odour that disturbs the population cannot be ensured technically, the odour-generating activity may be restricted, suspended or prohibited.

Who should I turn to if odours are causing problems for us too?

Telepszagtalanítás uses reliable, proven methods to effectively eliminate odours from livestock farming, agriculture, waste management facilities, wastewater treatment plants and the food industry, always with bespoke solutions!

The satisfaction and trust of our partners are worth more than anything: join the ranks of odour-free companies!