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Olfactometer panellistsOlfactometer - air quality laboratory

DPI&F operates a fully-equipped Air Quality Laboratory (Olfactometer) for measuring odour concentration.

The Olfactometer is primarily used in innovative research into odour issues and air quality enhancement, however it is also available commercially for odour measurements.

DPI&F has more than 10 years experience in air quality research in the intensive livestock field.

The laboratory

The intensive livestock environmental management air quality laboratory consists of a Forced-Choice Dynamic Olfactometer, designed and operated to meet the requirements of the Australian / New Zealand Standard - Stationary Source Emissions - Determination of odour concentration by dynamic olfactometry (AS/NZS 4323.3)

The Olfactometer uses a panel of 8 people (assessors) to evaluate 'air' being presented at 3 ports. 2 ports present clean, odour-free air and the third supplies diluted, odorous air. The port from which the odorous air is presented is chosen randomly.

Of the 3 ports - the assessors must select which one contains odorous air. This is referred to as forced-choice as opposed to yes/no olfactometry.  The assessors also indicate whether the answer they gave was based on certainty, an inkling or a guess. Only those reponses that are correct and given with certainty are regarded as 'true' for the purposes of data calculation.

Dynamic Olfactometry means that we can constantly vary the dilution of the odorous air presented to the assessors.

Further information

Olfactometer - hardware components
Design of the intensive livestock environmental management Olfactometer

Olfactometer - panellists
Includes role of panellists, panellist selection and maintenance

Olfactometer - odour sampling procedures
Sampling methods and equipment

Olfactometer - quality assurance
Ensuring accurate and reliable odour determinations

Chris Clayton
Supervisor, Dynamic Olfactometer
Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries
Phone: +61 7 4688 1373
Email: chris.clayton@dpi.qld.gov.au

Last updated 20 March 2009


 

© The State of Queensland, (Primary Industries and Fisheries within the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation) 1995-2009.
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