Influences of Urbanization in Odor Emission Management

Rapid urbanization expansion has significantly influenced the adoption of odor control at wastewater collection and treatment facilities. The Province of Ontario has led the way in emission control legislation, with regulations that often call for limits of one dilution to threshold for odor at the property boundaries as a condition of the facility's permit. The need for odor control in wastewater treatment plants is now well established. Conventional odor control technologies at the turn of the century included chemical scrubbers and activated carbon. Each of these technologies exhibit comparatively low capital cost and requires only a small footprint. Technology development of biofilters for odor control, driven by urbanization, has been directed at both space reduction and extended media life that eliminates the need for frequent replacement including transport and disposal. Evolution of the modern city has not only caused the necessity of stringent odor management, it has driven the development of advanced technologies for odor control and will continue to do so in the 21st Century.