UKAS Accredited
Odour Laboratory

Air Spectrum Environmental operate a state of the art UKAS accredited Odour laboratory that provides objective odour assessment data in accordance with leading international test standards: BS EN 13725. UKAS lab No # 8283. The laboratory operates within an accredited quality management system in line with ISO 17025.

The laboratory offers a broad range of odour analysis services that help clients quantify and profile both the environmental impact and also the human response to odours in respect of current regulatory and certification standards.

• Odour concentration analysis (ou_E/m³) is a standardised measurement of the detection threshold concentration of a specific odour and corresponds to the lowest concentration at which 50% of the population would detect an odour. This test is carried out in line with the European reference standard BS EN 13725: 2003 and is the benchmark measurement technique used to monitor & regulate odorous emissions.
• Odour speciation analysis provides customers with a compositional breakdown of the key compounds responsible for odour issues. Understanding the makeup of odorous samples on a molecular level, helps clients to optimise control measures and target the compounds that matter

• Hedonic tone measurements provide clients with an assessment of how pleasant or unpleasant an odorous sample is, as perceived by a panel of human assessors. Assessments are carried out in line with the recognised VDI-3882 -Part 2 test standard.
• Odour characterisation analysis provides an additional level of data that informs customers of how a representative panel of human assessors identify and perceive the odorous samples. Characterisation measurements can help clients validate odour complaints by confirming the nature of the perceived odour.
• Odour intensity assessments are used to qualitatively measure the perceived strength of an odour sample at a concentration just above its odour detection threshold point. Some odour compounds are perceived as being stronger than others when they are both at the same concentration. Therefore, intensity measurements can provide critical insights into which compounds are easily detectable at low concentrations. Applications of this type of testing include leak-detection trials within natural gas & hydrogen gas.

• Odour acuity training & certification services provide a standardised framework for assessing an individual’s odour sensitivity to the reference compound N-butanol. The assessments are typically carried out over a single two-hour period in accordance with the panellist requirements of BS EN 13725.
• Following the assessment, each individuals sensitivity to the reference odorant is calculated and a certificate is issued. Confirmation of an individuals sensitivity to odour is a valuable tool for many professionals including:
  • Regulatory officers responsible for odour complaint investigation
  • Air quality consultants conducting odour impact assessments (IAQM odour guidance)
  • Site managers of waste treatment facilities.