Abstract

The improved standard of living has increased awareness of odor emission, with a resultant rise in the number of civil complaints about the odor. Public environmental facilities directly related to citizen life are no exceptions. The number of civil complaints should be reduced in order to achieve the original goals of establishing public environmental facilities, healthy life-styles, and consistency. In this study, we determined measures to strengthen odor management in public environmental facilities in Seoul

The study results indicated 2 common associated problems, despite facility-dependent differences in characteristics and substances of the odor . First, with regard to kind of facility/process, heaps of sludge and facilities with septic tanks were main sources of odor of sewage treatment facilities; processes of crushing/sorting waste and drying facilities were main sources of odor of food waste disposal facilities; and spaces for crushing/sorting and piling were main sources of odor of waste transfer stations. Moreover, most main sources had conditions that facilitated easy spread of odor due to exposure to open spaces.

Secondly, for operational management related reasons, reduction devices were employed under un-hygienic washing conditions and low odor efficiency.

Analyses of 215 odor emission evaluations from public environmental facilities in Seoul over the past 5 years indicated that 6.51% of all cases (14 cases) were in violation of the acceptable limit. In most cases, odor emission was maintained at approximately 50~60% of the limit.

Based on these results, 8 strategies for strengthening management of the odor were suggested.

Moreover, a survey on waste transfer station facilities indicated that 50% were found in residential areas; and 7 crushing/sorting facilities that cause a massive amount of the odor were also found in residential areas. Since most facilities operated during the day when local citizens’activity was high, and the operation hours were prolonged, civil complaints about the odor were expected.

Of 24 facilities, 42% were operated in open spaces and 67% of the facilities did not use checklists for self-diagnosis. In addition, the cleaning was conducted less than once a week in 38% of the facilities.

Based on the study results, 9 strategies for strengthening management of the odor were suggested, as follows.

 

i) Strengthening the odor emission standards under local ordinance for multiple odor standards of site boundaries to public environmental facilities from the current 15 to 12 times of the amount.

ii) Expanding application of the strengthened standards to all odor emission facilities within 5 years.

iii) Strengthening obturation management of outdoor storage sites for the intermediate and final products and by-products (sludge, solid wastes to be released) from the facilities.

iv) Flexible application of operation hours considering weather, climate and prime time for local citizens’ activity.

ⅴ) Establishing detailed management measures regarding main sources of the odor.

ⅵ) Regular cleaning of contaminable devices and their parts and maintaining hygienic conditions of the facilities.

ⅶ) Regular monitoring.

ⅷ) Developing/managing odor control manuals and checklists considering the features of the facilities.

ⅸ) Establishing and practicing odor prevention measures through citizen participation and opinion.

 

Contents

01 Outline of the Study

1_Background and Purpose

2_Scope and Method

 

02 Current Status of Odor Generation of Public Environmental Facilities in Seoul

1_Definition of the Odor and Method of Measuring the Odor

2_Research on Regulations regarding Odors

3_Advanced Study and Research

4_Current Status of Facilities and Civil Complaints

5_Research Conclusions on the Present Status

 

03 Analysis on Characteristics of Odor Generation of Public Environmental Facilities

1_Analysis on Concentration of Odor Emission

2_Analysis on the Present System for the Purpose of Strengthening Multiple Odor Emission Standards

 

04 Research on Domestic and Foreign Cases

1_Research on Domestic Cases

2_Research on Foreign Cases

05 Directions for Odor Management of Public Environmental Facilities

1_Basic Directions for Managing the Domestic Odor of Public Environmental Facilities

2_Basic Strategy

3_Detailed Strategy

 

06 Conclusions and Policy Proposal

1_Conclusions

2_Policy Proposal