One of the less obvious parts of air quality consultancy is odour assessment.
For Chloe Fellows, Founder and Director of Haze Environmental, this includes having her sense of smell tested and calibrated.
As an odour practitioner, Chloe holds an up-to-date Odour Acuity Test certificate in accordance with EN 13725. In simple terms, this means her ability to detect odours is periodically tested against a recognised standard using n-butanol.
It is one of the parts of the role that often surprises people.
Odour survey season has been particularly busy for Haze Environmental recently, with odour assessments being undertaken for a range of developments, including wastewater, industrial, rural and agricultural sites.
Odour can be a sensitive planning issue. It is also one of the more subjective environmental topics, which is why a proportionate, evidence-led approach is so important.
The purpose of an odour assessment is not simply to decide whether something smells. It is to understand the likely impact on the people who live, work or spend time nearby, and to consider whether appropriate mitigation or design changes may be needed.
This may include reviewing the nature of the odour source, local meteorological conditions, distance from sensitive receptors, frequency of exposure, and the potential for odour to affect future occupants or existing communities.
At Haze Environmental, odour assessments are undertaken to support planning applications, inform design decisions and provide clear, practical advice on potential odour risks.
It is a fascinating area of work and certainly not always what people imagine when they hear the words “air quality consultant”.
