Abstract
The evaluation of fugitive odorous emissions represents a key challenge in the assessment of odour impacts from industrial plants and installations. These emissions are characterized by diffuse release mechanisms, marked spatial and temporal variability, and considerable uncertainties in the estimation of emitted flows. Although fugitive sources are increasingly considered within regulatory and authorization frameworks, their characterization remains a topic of ongoing technical and scientific debate, due to the inherent complexity of these emission sources. Several approaches are currently adopted to estimate fugitive emissions, mainly based on mass flow calculations derived from emission factors, Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR) programs or direct measurements, such as Quantitative Optical Gas Imaging (QOGI). However, such methodologies generally provide results only in terms of mass emissions and do not allow a direct evaluation of Odour Emission Rates (OER), which are required for odour dispersion modelling and impact assessment. In this context, the present paper introduces the Odour Fugitive Emission Potential (OFEP) as a parameter intended to link estimated fugitive mass losses to the associated odour emissions, by coupling odour and Total Volatile Organic Carbon (TVOC) concentrations measured at the interface of the fugitive source. The proposed approach enables the inclusion of fugitive emission sources within the overall odour emission scenario, contributing to a more comprehensive and consistent assessment of industrial odour emissions.
