The importance of industrial odour treatment

Pollution and odour control are significant issues at every industrial site. Corrosive and foul odours emanating from your site can profoundly harm your staff, equipment and structures. If those odours escape the perimeter of your site, they will inevitably affect the natural environment and any populated areas.

Every industrial site has a responsibility to manage its odour levels. Of course, that can be easier said than done. Here, we’ll explain everything you need to know about foul industrial odours and how to control them.

We’ll explain:

• How foul odours are caused
• The effects they can have on your staff, site, the public and the environment
• What the Government has to say about industrial odour regulations
• How CleanaWater’s odour control systems can help you

To put it plainly, CleanaWater provides effective and affordable industrial odour solutions. No matter the scale of your industrial operation or the nature of your waste, our odour control systems keep your site and staff safe and sound. And comply with local government regulations.

What causes foul odours in industrial waste?

The chemical composition of industrial waste determines the severity of its odour. Foul odours can be caused by organic waste decomposing or by chemical waste catalysing.

A typical byproduct of organic waste is hydrogen sulphide (H2S), which famously (or rather, infamously) smells like rotten eggs. Practically all industries, from food processing facilities to wastewater treatment plants, generate waste packed with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can be deadly.

Environmental factors can also cause odours to flare. In many industries, waste is generated, treated or stored in the open air. It should surely come as no surprise that waste left to bake under the blazing Australian sun can kick up quite a stink.

The effects of foul odours on staff, the public and the environment

In a best-case scenario, improperly neutralised waste will just be deeply unpleasant. It will result in a barrage of odour complaints from surrounding communities, not to mention on-site staff. If left unchecked, the problem will grow.

If your worksite persists in being an odour nuisance, it will become unworkable.

• Staff morale and productivity will drastically decline, and turnover will increase.
• Constant complaints from surrounding residential and commercial environments will incur heavy government fines, not to mention reputational damage.
• The corrosive nature of the waste odours, especially hydrogen sulphide, will rapidly corrode equipment and buildings on your site.

Odorous compounds like hydrogen sulphide and ammonia are also highly toxic. If your staff and the broader community are regularly exposed to it, it will cause debilitating respiratory illnesses.

It should go without saying that any odours that can debilitate people can also devastate the natural environment, and the flora and fauna within. Toxic and foul-smelling fumes are a threat to their well-being and their lives. And that is also a legally punishable offence.

The Australian Government’s odour control guidelines

Australia does not have a national agency dedicated to environmental oversight. Instead, each state has an Environmental Protection Authority. The level of power and reach afforded to each EPA differs by state, and it would be best to consult your state’s EPA for relevant legislation and guidelines.

All Australian state EPAs are responsible for safeguarding the public from odorous industrial waste. They do have the authority to demand businesses implement odour removal or management strategies.

All industries producing waste should aim to:

• Reduce their current spread of odorous emissions as much as possible
• Develop an ongoing process to monitor the levels of offensive odours generated by their industrial processes so that they can take immediate mitigating measures

State EPA regulations and local government guidelines are common stumbling blocks for many industrial premises. But with CleanaWater’s help, they can be overcome.

Benefits of industrial odour control

There are several clear benefits to neutralising industrial odour emissions:

• End or reduce public complaints of pungent odour issues.
• Avoid municipal and state fines.
• Create a safer working environment that prioritises your workers’ health, including their mental health.
• Protect your equipment and facility against corrosive industrial odours.
• Create an environmentally-friendly site.
• Manage the pH level of your chemical processing waste.

CleanaWater’s industrial odour control systems

CleanaWater provides automated odour control systems for all Australian industries. Our solutions can be retrofitted to any existing waste management system or can be custom-made to suit the unique challenges all businesses offer.

Our automated systems monitor your wastewater's chemical and pH levels and adjust their dosing strategies to eliminate foul odours. They can even be set to send real-time SMS updates so that you can track their efficiency precisely.

We offer a range of solutions to suit different types and levels of odour pollution. Our experts will assess your waste to determine the best solution for your business.

Chemical dosing systems for odorous wastewater and sludge

Chemical dosing is the process of injecting odour-neutralising reactants directly into waste. We can prevent certain odours from forming by treating waste in its liquid form.

CleanaWater’s chemical dosing systems use proprietary chemical blends to reduce hydrogen sulphide emissions by up to 95%.

Our dosing systems are best suited for treating wastewater and can be installed at pumping stations, rising mains and sewer maintenance holes.

Neutralising odours with vapour systems, misting systems and surface treatments

Depending on how your industrial waste is generated and stored, it may be impossible to prevent fumes and odours from spreading. Our odour neutralising systems can cover large swathes of land producing several sources of diffuse odours through the air.

Our vapour and misting systems encircle waste storage areas or odour producing processes, releasing odour neutralising agents into the air and preventing any bad smell from escaping into the surrounding area.

Surface treatment involves spraying odour-neutralising reactants directly onto the source of the smell. This solution is particularly effective for solid waste sites and sludge lagoons, or when immediate odour relief is required .

CleanaWater’s odour neutralising systems are 90-100% effective.

Filtering odorous substances with activated carbon technology

Activated carbon filters are our most reliable and cost-effective solution to industrial odour control. We can install a carbon filtration station along your wastewater system, or to extract and treat foul air from your process facility. The carbon filter treats the waste at a molecular level, bonding with contaminants (like hydrogen sulphide) to prevent them from releasing into the surrounding atmosphere.

CleanaWater’s carbon filtration systems are >99.5% effective at odour reduction.

Odour control chemicals

There is no one-size-fits-all solution to odour control, or to any problem industrial sites offer. Long-term solutions require specificity. Once CleanaWater’s specialists have assessed your waste management issues and identified an appropriate odour control system, we will then recommend an effective chemical reactant.

We offer several odour-neutralising chemicals, including proprietary formulas that deliver unparalleled results. 

CleanaWater’s industrial-strength odour neutralisers include:

• Ferrogard®: This is our signature blend of ferrous chloride. It is 95% effective at combating hydrogen sulphide.
• This is our signature blend of magnesium hydroxide. It reduces odours by up to 80% and can neutralise acids and strip heavy metals out of wastewater and sludge.
• Micronutrient additives: This biodegradable and non-toxic treatment breaks down organic matter and, as a result, their foul odours.

CleanaWater provides odour management solutions for all Australian industries

CleanaWater is Australia’s premier waste treatment specialist. Our expertise has earned us long-term partnerships with municipalities and industries nationwide.

Industries we provide odour control solutions for include:

• Industrial and municipal water treatment plants
• Landfills and solid waste management sites
• Food and dairy processing
• Meat and livestock processing
• Manufacturing facilities

Whatever industry you’re in, CleanaWater has an industrial odour treatment solution for you. Contact our experts today, and we’ll get the job done right.