International Handbook on the Assessment of Odour Exposure using Dispersion Modelling - Second Draft

The second draft of the International Handbook on the Assessment of Odour Exposure using Dispersion Modelling is publicly available for comments.

The due date for comments is July 9, 2023. Anyone can leave a comment by clicking the link present in the first line of every page.

The document represents the first worldwide handbook on the assessment of odour exposure by using dispersion modelling. Modelling odours is complex and many of the guidelines on modelling published around the world fall short in treating this sector. Odours are perceived in seconds (the time interval of a breath), not hours, and this is key in calculating their impact in the ambient air. Most odour incidents are generated during calm or very low wind speeds which do not facilitate the dispersion of an odour and that makes modelling extremely challenging.

The development of the handbook is an initiative promoted by over 50 experts around the globe in the area of modelling odours. The writing of the handbook started in August 2020, and the release of its final version is foreseen for the last months of 2023.