Pollution and olfactory nuisances: an environmental concern
Air is a vital, shared, and still largely unregulated resource. The primary criterion for assessing air quality, as assessed by any eco-citizen, remains its odor. Sustainable economic activity must take into account its environment and its populations.
Air pollution is a concept that describes an alteration in the quality and purity of the air, by one or more substances likely to generate nuisances.
Odor nuisances can be generated according to different dimensions:
- The frequency of odor emission over the course of a day, a week, a year.
- The duration of the broadcast and its persistence.
- The intensity of the smell.
- The hedonic character, that is to say the affective tone which measures the aggressive aspect of the odor.
Odor nuisance is characterized above all by discomfort.
- Odors and olfactory nuisances are environmental concerns of increasing importance, both for manufacturers seeking to control these nuisances and for the population demanding respect for their living environment.
Odor nuisances appear to be the second most common reason for complaints after noise.
This emphasis on odor pollution is linked to the fact that odors and allergies are often associated with crime. However, even though odorous pollutants often pose no direct risk, the odor nuisances they generate can have a negative psychological impact when deemed excessive. This "stress" can then, in some cases, have serious consequences for people's health.
Controlling odors and olfactory nuisances is essential for:
- Protect nature and the environment.
- Eliminate the risk of inconvenience and stress caused to local residents.
- Improve working conditions for employees.
- Regaining the trust of local authorities.
- Do not damage the brand image of the industry or the community.
