PureFlow logo. Industrial Odor Control

Industrial Odor Control – Fresh Air, Safeguarding the Environment and Public Health

Industrial odor control primarily targets compounds in exhaust gases that produce unpleasant or irritating smells, such as hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, methyl mercaptan, volatile amines, organic sulfur compounds, and organic acids.

Common industrial odor control methods include biological deodorization, chemical scrubbing, activated carbon adsorption, plasma deodorization, and photocatalytic oxidation. These solutions are widely used in waste treatment facilities, sewage plants, food processing plants, livestock farms, and chemical factories.

Multiple activated carbon adsorption units interconnected by pipelines
Generation

Industrial odors are commonly generated by biological decomposition, wastewater and sludge treatment, chemical reactions, storage tanks, and production processes.

Typical odor sources include:

  • Wastewater treatment headworks
  • Screens and grit chambers
  • Sludge thickening and dewatering
  • Digesters and sludge storage
  • Lift stations and pumping stations
  • Food and beverage processing
  • Chemical manufacturing
  • Storage tank venting
  • Waste and organic material handling
  • Fertilizer and agricultural processes
Large volumes of wastewater being treated at a wastewater treatment plant.
Treatment

A typical industrial odor control system may consist of:

Odor Source → Enclosure / Collection Hood → Treatment Equipment → Fan → Exhaust Stack

Odor sources are often enclosed or covered first. A negative-pressure ventilation system then captures the contaminated air and transports it to the treatment equipment.

This front-end collection system is critical because odor cannot be effectively treated unless it is first captured and conveyed to the control equipment.

Industrial Odor Control Process Flow Diagram.