NEW REVISION OF EN13725 (OLFACTOMETRY)

The European Standard for Olfactometry, EN13725, was initially published in 2003. Since then, it has been developed by CEN/TC264 Working Group 2 (WG2). After many years of development, the new standard has now been published (March 2022). WG2 consists of a team of odour specialists from across Europe. Silsoe Odours Director, Robert Sneath, was instrumental in the process. He has acted as the UK expert in the working group since 1996. So he now boasts more than 25 years of experience at the forefront of EN13725.

You will find the following explanation helpful if you are not familiar with EN13725:

This European Standard specifies a method for the objective determination of the odour concentration of a gaseous sample using dynamic olfactometry with human assessors. The standard also specifies a method for the determination of the emission rate of odours form stationary sources, in particular:

• Point sources (conveyed or ducted emissions);
• Active area sources (e.g. biofilters);
• Passive sources.

The primary application of this standard is to provide a common basis for evaluation of odour emissions.
BSEN13725:2022 Stationary Source Emissions – Determination of Odour Concentration by Dynamic Olfactometry and Odour Emission Rate

NEW REVISION

Together with WG2, Robert has been working towards a revision of the standard since 2012. As of March 2022, the completed version has now been published and will be available via your national standards institute. For the UK, this is the British Standards Institute.

The new standard is entitled BS EN13725:2022 stationary source emissions – determination of odour concentration by dynamic olfactometry and odour emission rate. The standard reflects some improvements, particularly around odour sampling. Notably, it includes updates such as:

• Health and safety recommendations for all staff involved with the process of dynamic olfactometry. This includes odour panellists and sampling technicians, both in the laboratory and on-site
• More rigorous procedures for sampling and pre-dilution
• A more thorough method to assess measurement uncertainty
• Certain exclusions (for example, field olfactometry and measurement of exposure)

THE PURPOSE OF EN13725

By developing EN13725, the WG2 team had three core goals. Specifically, they wanted to create a unified standard of olfactometry which:

• Improved consistency within each odour laboratory (repeatability)
• Achieved comparable results amongst laboratories (reproducibility)
• Connected the results to a traceable reference material, such as n-butanol (accuracy)

Having achieved this, EN13725 supports national bodies’ efforts in providing guidance and enforcement of environmental odour regulations. In the UK, the most notable examples are the H4 odour guidance document from the Environment Agency and the Guidance on the Assessment of Odour for Planning document from the Institute of Air Quality (IAQM). They both outline best practice criteria for effective odour management.

HOW IS EN13725 COMPLIANCE ASSESSED?

In the UK, the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) is responsible for assessing compliance with BSEN13725. In summary, UKAS accreditation is an important measure for demonstrating quality standards and, of course, compliance with the European Standard.

We hold several accreditations at Silsoe Odours. Perhaps most importantly, we hold UKAS accreditation for both our odour laboratory and our on-site odour sampling activities.

FIND OUT MORE

Finally, if you would like to understand more about EN13725 and how it affects you, please get in to