FIGHTING ODORS

Introduction

Industrial production facilities have focused on reducing the quantity and improving the quality of their solid waste. Have cleaned up and remediated the factory's sites, have purified and recycled their waste water and commonly even reduced emissions to the ambient air. In many cases businesses have therefore complied with governmental and local laws and permits. For odour issues however the regulations are less clear. The only important factor has been the number of complaints the company receives from the locality.

With new residential areas built near to older industrial sites which used to be located on the outskirts of cities, citizens are increasingly being confronted with the malodors of manufacturing companies. Furthermore, whereas in the past the workers of the company were the only ones living in the neighborhood of the factory, nowadays with increasing mobility, the company's neighbor may not be his best friend. Moreover people have learned to stand up, confront and even sue local government and business if they believe health and comfort issues are at stake. It is therefore that odour control is becoming an important factor for every environmental officer and production manager.

Odor is a very complex matter to quantify and qualify. It varies from person to person what is considered smelly. A malodorous substance called mercaptanes can be very pungent at extremely low concentrations of for example 5 ppb (parts per billion). Other bad odours such as H2S loose their smell at very high concentrations.

Problem

Anaerobic ponds treat wastewater by enhancing the activity of gas-producing microbes in the absence of oxygen. The types of gases produced vary, and can include methane, sulphur-based (hydrogen sulphide) and other foul smelling gases. In ponds and tanks open to the atmosphere, gases produced escape to the atmosphere and become airborne.

Solution

Odor production in anaerobic ponds can be minimized by installing two types of system:
ADS aeration system
A cover or floating materials over the surface of the pond (Bird Ball™)

The Bird Ball™ cover system provides an insulated, odor-reducing cover for anaerobic fermentation tanks and lagoons. Typical anaerobic processes include organic sludge storage and digestion as well as high strength industrial wastewater.

Not only does the Bird Ball™ cover system reduce odors, it also minimizes oxygen diffusion at the air-liquid interface thereby maintaining the specific anaerobic environment required for effective treatment. Covering the air-liquid interface area reduces the volatilization of odorous gases.

Performance

ADS aeration system has been proven to be extremely efficient and low cost maintenance. And Bird Balls™ provide a cost-effective, low maintenance odor-control alternative to floating membrane covers and structural domes.