Measurement of Fugitive Odours in the Pulp and Paper Industry

Odour complaints from neighbours are one of the few constants in the pulp and paper Industry. It does not seem to matter whether it is a city based recycled fibre mill or a rural based virgin fibre mill, the complaints still roll in. So what is the source of these fugitive odours, and how do we measure and assess them? Our experience in odour investigation shows that the sources are many and varied, ranging from venting of kraft foul gas, through anaerobic effluent to exotic odours from chemical side reactions. With such a variety of chemicals responsible for odour, the method of analysis becomes important with respect to detecting all odour compounds.