What are your odor control options?

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Form of odor control	Benefit	Disadvantage
Essential Oils/ Odor Neutralizers (granule and powder form)	Safe for environment, humans, animals; natural product; easy to use; low cost; low labor costs; works immediately; quick and easy installation; compatible with all other odor control options; solves any odor problem	Will not eliminate source of odor
Essential Oils/ Odor Neutralizers (liquids)	Safe for environment, humans, animals; natural product; easy to use; low cost; low labor costs; works immediately; quick and easy installation; compatible with all other odor control options; solves any odor problem; uniform and constant odor control when in use	Will not eliminate source of odor; requires maintenance of nozzles and compressor
"Vapor-Phase" Odor Control Options (ventilation of vapor point sources with product)
Air Scrubber (wet single or multi-stage, biological or carbon absorption)	Reasonably effective on typical odors; treats sulfide and sulfur compounds, and ammonia compounds; may treat nitrogen compounds	May leave up to 20% of odors; high power costs; significant capital expense (see below); frequent routine and emergency maintenance required; labor intensive; footprint may be large (land required) Based upon a 20-year life-cycle and 5 to 50 ppm H2S with a 4,400 scfm air flow rate, present value cost can range from $229,000 - $416,000.

Biological (biofilter)	Treats sulfide and sulfur compounds; effective at removing hydrogen sulfide, organic sulfides, and mercaptans	Large land area needed; requires construction; cold weather and unstable influent air quality reduces performance; requires good management - upsets cause unit to stop functioning; usually not effective at removing nitrogen-based compounds such as ammonia and amines Based upon a 20-year life-cycle with a 4,400 scfm air flow rate, present value costs can be $378,000.
Carbon Absorption	Simplest of major wastewater odor control technologies; no ongoing chemical supply; no biological processes to manage;  effective on hydrogen sulfide and related sulfur-based compounds	Ammonia and other nitrogen-based compounds not effectively treated; will not eliminate source of odor Based upon a 20-year life-cycle and 5 to 50 ppm H2S with a 4,400 scfm air flow rate, present value costs can be $229,000 - $422,000.
Masking Agent	Reduces odors somewhat by covering or masking with another more pleasant odor; safe; inexpensive; easy to use; works immediately	Original odor may linger; masking agent odor may be pronounced and intrusive; will not eliminate source of odor
Aeration	May reduce some odors significantly; effective on other odors; provides a fresh atmosphere	All odors may not be completely eliminated; high power costs; high capital expense; frequent routine and emergency maintenance required; large volume of aeration required in order to be effective; will not eliminate source of odor Based upon a 20-year life-cycle and 5 to 50 ppm H2S with a 4,400 scfm air flow rate, present value cost can range from $229,000 - $416,000.
"Liquid-Phase" Odor Control Options (injection of wet point sources with product)
Iron Salts	Low cost; treats sulfides	Stains concrete; difficult to control; hazardous; corrosive; capital costs are $18,000/1 mgd w/ 5 ppm dissolved sulfides (5,000 gallons chemical storage) plus annual chemical costs of over $20,000 and $1,300 labor; on-going chemical costs; unstable waste loads can cause significant treatment problems; does not treat non-sulfide compounds

Bioxide (nitrate solution)	Treats sulfide and non-sulfide sulfur compounds; biochemically oxidizes sulfides and other odorous reduced-sulfur compounds; non-hazardous; relatively easy to use and store	Does not treat non-sulfur compounds; patented (making cost higher); can become cost-prohibitive; routine use may be expensive Capital costs are $14,000/1 mgd w/ 5 ppm dissolved sulfides (5,000 gallons chemical storage) plus annual chemical costs of over $25,000 and $1,300 labor.
Oxidizers (such as hydrogen peroxide)	Reacts chemically with dissolved sulfides	Many non-odorous compounds are oxidizers, which means the amount of product needed for odor control results in excessive costs; product is often classified as hazardous  Capital costs are $25,000/1 mgd w/ 5 ppm dissolved sulfides (5,000 gallons chemical storage) plus annual chemical costs of over $27,000 and $1,900 labor.
Biological (enzymes/bugs)	Reduces solids that cause odors; natural; safe; inexpensive; may reduce biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and/or enhance biological treatment; effective for grease control and lagoons as ice formation breaks up	Might leave some odor; will not work on all odors; will not work immediately - requires initial time period while colony develops and begins to work; needs warmth to work effectively
Other Options
Covers	Contains odors	Odors may be intensified due to confinement; confined space is created which may be a safety hazard; corrosion may become a significant issue depending on type of material used; will not eliminate source of odor
Ozonators	Eliminates most odors	Ozonators needed - high capital costs; not a proven technology in many cases
Absorbents	Effective in most cases	When fully saturated, odors are released back into the air; will not eliminate source of odor
Electrostatic Precipitators	Reduces odor and emissions	Up to 20% of the odors may remain; will not work on all odors; very high capital costs
Lime	Raises pH which can reduce or eliminate sulfate formation	High pH is corrosive and unsafe to handle; requires on-going labor; adds significant mass; not a good long-term solution
Blocks	Effective in some cases; easy to use; inexpensive	Suspected cancer-causing agents; can't be used in every application; limited overall benefits; will not eliminate source of the odor

 

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