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EUROPEAN ODOUR STANDARD EN13725:2022

EUROPEAN ODOUR STANDARD EN13725:2022

European Odour Standard EN13725:2022 is now available

NEW REVISION OF EN13725 (OLFACTOMETRY)

The European Standard for Olfactometry, EN13725, was initially published in 2003. It was then developed by CEN/TC264 Working Group 2 (WG2). WG2 consisted of a team of odour specialists from across Europe. Silsoe Odours Director, Robert Sneath, was instrumental in the process. He acted as the UK expert in the working group since 1996. After many years of development, the new standard reached publication in March 2022

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 worked towards a revision of the standard since 2012. In March 2022, the completed version reached publication. It is 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)
A CEN WG2 meeting about EN13725 in Delft, January 2020

A CEN/TC264 WG2 meeting about EN13725 in Delft, January 2020

WG2 met online during the pandemic

WG2 met online during the pandemic

THE PURPOSE OF EN13725

When 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?

The Silsoe Odours laboratory is compliant with BS EN13725

The Silsoe Odours laboratory is compliant with BS EN13725

In the UK, the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) is responsible for assessing compliance with BSEN13725. UKAS accreditation is an important measure. It demonstrates quality standards and, of course, compliance with the European Standard.
 
Silsoe Odours holds several accreditations. This includes UKAS accreditation for our odour laboratory and on-site odour sampling activities.
 
UKAS expects to begin accrediting to EN1375:2022 from January 2024. This allows time for odour professionals to make changes to reach the new standard. As a result, all parties should achieve accreditation to the 2022 standard simultaneously. Silsoe Odours strives for continuous, industry-leading, excellence. As such, we are already working to the new standard across all sampling and testing.

FIND OUT MORE

Finally, if you would like to understand more about EN13725 and how it affects you, please get in touch. Robert now boasts 25 years of experience working on the standard as its UK expert. So, he is perfectly placed to answer all your questions. Give us a call on 01525 860222, or click on the button below to reach us.

Updated 19th October 2023

One Response

  1. […] Robert is a renowned odour specialist with over 40 years’ experience at the forefront of the odour industry. Perhaps most notably, Robert acts as the UK expert for Technical Committee CEN/TC 264 “Air Quality”’. The workgroup is responsible for the ongoing development of the European Standard EN13725. […]

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