The Composting Association
INFORMATION SHEET 22
Dealing with Odours and Biofilters
What is odour?
“Odour is the property of a chemical
substance or substance mixture,
(dependent on the concentration), to
activate the sense of smell and thus
[cause] an odour sensation”
This was the opening comment from Dr.
Anke Bockreis at the European compost
Network conference on Odour.
The human nose perceives the stimulus of
smell in a logarithmic scale of intensity. In
general, the methods for analysing odours
in air fall into two categories:
1) Olfactometry
2) Chemical/Physical measurements on
chemical components giving rise to the
odour.
However, there is little doubt from studies
carried out on different types of
composting plants that the quantification of
odour is highly complex.
Olfactometry is the only measure
that includes concentration,
intensity, tone and quality.
The development of an electronic
nose is designed to combine the
benefits of olfactometry with the
convenience of an on-line chemical
analytical system.
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Composting sites applying for a Waste
Management License or an Exemption
must consider odour and its control in
their applications.
What causes odours at composting
sites?
The odours from composting are caused
by odourous volatile organic compounds
(VOCs) such as methyl mercaptans,
methyl sulphides, ammonia and amines.
These compounds are produced during
the bio-degradation process at the highest
rate normally during the early stage.
The key areas and activities where odours
are likely to be generated include; the
waste receiving area; shredding; mixing
and windrow turning. Odour may also be
generated from diffuse sources such as
partially biodegraded organic material
lying on the ground outside the windrow or
in-vessel composter and stagnant
leachate either from spillages or storage
ponds.
Composting is an aerobic process
(requires oxygen). If a composting process
becomes restricted in oxygen due to water
logging, structure with too few large pore
spaces, etc. it can become anaerobic and
also give rise to odours.
Composting is not an odour-free
process but it can be effectively
controlled, so that odours are minimal
and acceptable.
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How are odours detected and
measured?
The simple answer is that humans smell
odours but are very bad at describing
them other than in the most simplistic
terms and in comparison to known odours.
The standard for odour concentration
measurement in Europe is CEN/TC264,
which uses dynamic dilution olfactometry
and a forced choice method with a panel
of six assessors. The panel have to
choose from which port of the olfactometer
the odour sample is flowing and whether
their answer is a guess, an inkling or a
certainty. In this way an odour threshold
can be established and the intensity of the
odour can be judged.
The unit of odour is European odour
units per cubic metre of air (ouE/M3)
It is then possible to calculate by how
much the odour must be reduced to
become acceptable, using a combination
of the concentration and the intensity of an
odour. Odour can be reduced either by
abatement equipment or by dispersion.
Another unit of measurement is ED50,
which is the effective dilution at which 50%
of the panel cannot detect the odour.
Odour intensity can be referenced to a
single standard odour. The reference
standard is n-Butanol and odours can be
measured in butanol equivalents. This can
be useful in establishing thresholds for
odours above which complaints could be
expected.
A combination of careful site measurement
and detailed meteorological data can be
used by a number software packages to
model odours around a site and to predict
when complaints might occur.
With the development of the ‘electronic
nose’ measurement and prediction can
take place in real-time and form part of a
composting facility control system.
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Good composting practices to
minimise odours.
Composting is an aerobic process. The
microorganisms that make the composting
process happen consume oxygen and
therefore need a sufficient airflow through
the composting mass to ensure that there
is always enough oxygen available. This
should not be underestimated during
periods of high rate composting.
Key to providing sufficient airflow is the
structure of the compost heap or windrow.
For example, home composters often
have problems with composting grass
cuttings, which turn out as a smelly slimy
mess. Grass cuttings tend to pack flat and
not to allow any airway through the heap.
Structuring the heap with more rigid
material such as twigs, straw, crumpled up
card, etc. will allow airways in the compost
heap.
Periodic mixing improves the oxygen
supply and some systems rely on an
engineered means of pumping air through
each composting mass.
The Carbon to Nitrogen (C: N) ratio is also
important. Overly high nitrogen content
such as fish, biosolids or manure will give
rise to high ammonia emissions, typically
greater than 25 ppm. Mixing with a carbon
rich amendment such as the structural
materials above will be beneficial.
On a large scale, composters will have a
range of materials such as straw, garden
prunings, wood chips, etc. that may be
used to give structure.
Control of feedstocks and amendments
and composting them as soon as possible
will minimise odours from stored materials.
Site hygiene is a critical area, ensuring
spills of feedstock or composting material
are cleaned up and that pools of leachate
are not left to lie on the ground will be
effective in reducing diffuse sources of
odour. Liquor collected in a lagoon or tank
can be aerated to prevent is becoming
aerobic and producing odours.
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 covers designed to trap odours are on the
Influences on Influences on market.
odour that can odour that cannot
be changed be changed. For in-vessel composting processes, the
Biowaste collected Time of the year, range of options is greater. When air is
and storage composition of
biowaste
drawn through the windrow (or in-vessel
Type of system, Odour potential of
process) it can be collected and treated.
in-vessel or open biowaste
Performance of Biological process Filters and Air Scrubbers
exhaust air itself, decomposition
treatment Biofilters
Site cleanliness Geographical One of the simplest treatments is to pass
situation of the plant,
the air through a biofilter. A biofilter
topography
consists of a concrete or stainless steel
Staff knowledge Micro and local
and training climate weather vessel or walled bay, filled with a thick
Table 1. Influences on the Odour layer of odour absorbent material, e.g.,
matured compost, ground up pallets,
Technologies for odour control. coconut fibre or oversize woody rejects
from the composting process.
There is a broad range of technologies
available for industrial odour control and
The size of the biofilter should allow for
they range in complexity and cost. They
approximately 1 m3 of filter medium for an
include biofilters, carbon adsorption, wet
airflow of 100 m3 of air treated per hour.
scrubbing, membrane separation,
Effective malodour removal relies on a
cryogenic condensation and highly
minimum residence time in the biofilter, at
sophisticated techniques to thermal
least approximately 30 to 40 seconds
/catalytic oxidation.
Biofilters require moisture and are often
The most simple and cost effective
fitted with a sprinkler system. If the
method of odour management is a
exhaust air has been passed through a
combination of good composting practice
wet scrubber before final polishing in the
and site hygiene, i.e., minimising the
biofilter, this may provide sufficient
generation of malodours.
moisture.
In other applications the moist exhaust air
Further measures
from the biofilter may be contained and
For open static windrows, the options are
condensed. This has the advantages of
relatively simple. If good practice and site
minimising water consumption, further
hygiene are not sufficient, deodorising
reducing odour and not creating a visible
mists and sprays are available.
plume of steam.
Dispersion barriers may be effective;
In a fully enclosed facility, engineering
wind machines have been used to
controls could allow for ‘low malodour’ air
increase the airflow over windrows and
to be circulated to higher malodour areas,
effectively increase the dispersion rate and
at controlled flow rates, before final
direct the airflow away from sensitive
treatment.
receptors or it may be prudent to put time
and weather condition limits on activities
Biofilters need monitoring, maintenance
associated with unacceptable malodour
and periodic changing of the filter bed
concentrations where there are sensitive
medium. The filter-bed material examples
receptors.
named in this information sheet can be
composted.
A blanket of mature compost over the
windrow may be used to act as a simple
biofilter and gas-permeable windrow
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 The efficiency of odour removal by Regulations on Odours
biofilters, either alone or in conjunction There are no EU-wide regulations on
with a scrubber can vary widely depending odours. Table 2 below shows a selection of
on the design and operating conditions. A regulatory limits and measurements.
study carried out in 2000 by Defoer & Van
Langenhove on biofilters at five Flemish Regulations in the UK
aerobic composting plants showed that for
Environmental Protection Act 1990. Odour
three out of five, the volatile organic
can be classed as a Statutory Nuisance and
compound (VOC) removal efficiency was
under Part III Section 80 an Abatement
greater than 94%. At one plant the
Notice can be served.
efficiency was reduced to 80% due to low
influent concentrations and in the fifth
Planning Guidance Note (PPG10)
plant studied the efficiency was down to
64%.
Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control
(IPPC). Processes are regulated under
Country Limit and description
authorisations issued either by the
Austria MBT plants: 500 OU/m³ with a Environment Agency or Local Authority.
minimum distance from
residential property of 500m
Odour should be controlled using Best
Denmark 500-meter distance to the Available Technology (BAT)
nearest neighbour,
5 to 10 ouE /M³ at the nearest Sources of additional information
neighbour The Composting Association, Large-scale
Germany Relative frequency of 10% Composting – A Practical Manual for the
(percentage of hours a year with
UK, www.compost.org.uk
odour hours considered to be a
significant nuisance) for Silso Research Institute,
residential areas. For industrial www.silsoe.cranfield.ac.uk/
areas the percentage rises to
15%. An 'odour hour' is any hour European Compost Network, Odour
in which there is a continuous Workshop, March 2003
odour perception for a period of 6 www.compostnetwork.info/odourworkshop/in
minutes (Federal Standard,
dex.htm
GIRL)
Holland 1.5 ouE /M³ as 98 percentile for
green waste and household © The Composting Association 2003
organic waste composting
Ireland Based on olfactometry
• 3 ouE /M³ at the 98th percentile
for new facilities
• 6 ouE /M³ at the 98th percentile
for existing plants
UK No set limit. Any of the following
The Composting Association’s
could be applied:
• No nuisance
Information Sheet series has been
supported by the Environment Action
• No odour at the plant boundary
Fund (EAF).
• X ppb H2S NB: This information sheet has been compiled to provide
practical, generic guidance only. The Composting
• 6 ouE /M³ at the 98th percentile
Association accepts no responsibility whatsoever for any
for existing facilities. loss or prosecution resulting from acting on the information
Table 2. Odour limits in EU in some member contained herein. The response has been compiled for
guidance only. Adherence to any recommendations or
states information does not necessarily imply endorsement by
The Composting Association; neither does it necessarily
ensure compliance with the respective regulatory
requirements. It is strongly suggested that specialist
advice be sought where appropriate.
The Composting Association © 2004

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