Modeling of Odor from a Particleboard Production Plant

Production of particleboards is associated with volatile organic compounds emissions, many of which have odorous properties. The objective is to determine whether the odor emissions from the production, using spruce and aspen as raw material, comply with the local odor limit defined in a specific way-an hourly average odor concentration leading to 16% odor annoyance and not being exceeded more than 2% of the time in residential area. Complex data of odor are presented from two largest sources-dryer and press, providing odor emission concentration, flow, composition, and dispersion model. The odor emission flow from the dryer is by factor of 19 higher with the value of 7655 x 10(6) ou(E) h(-1) than that from the press. The dependence between odor concentration and annoyance is defined and determined. Identifying the top 10 odorous compounds (the most relevant are hexanal, butanoic and acetic acids, and alpha- and beta-pinenes) in the emissions, the concentration, which leads to 16% annoyance, is quantified to 0.62 mu g m(-3). The dispersion model provides odor distribution, proving that the given limit is not exceeded in the nearby residential area.