Click on “Download PDF” for the PDF version or on the title for the HTML version.


If you are not an ASABE member or if your employer has not arranged for access to the full-text, Click here for options.

Use of Trained Odour Assessors to Monitor Odour Intensity, Duration and Offensiveness Downwind of Manure Application Sites

Published by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, St. Joseph, Michigan www.asabe.org

Citation:  Paper number  MBSK 06-307,  ASABE/CSBE North Central Intersectional Meeting . (doi: 10.13031/2013.22380) @2006
Authors:   Joy Agnew, Pam Loran, Subrata Karmakar, Chris Reid, Claude Lague
Keywords:   Odour intensity, odour assessors, Nasal Rangers™, manure spreading, land application, field olfactometer

The assessment of odour dispersion downwind of manure application sites is required to establish science-based separation distances that allow for the minimization of odour nuisance to farming neighbours. Nasal Rangers, or trained odour assessors, are gaining popularity for odour intensity determination. Training of Nasal Rangers and the development of appropriate field protocols have been established by St. Croix Sensory Inc. as well as by the University of Alberta odour team. Wind tunnels and flux chambers are useful for obtaining surface odour concentrations that are averaged over the sampling period. However, the emitting sources and weather conditions often produce instantaneous spikes of odour that may cause annoyance to local residents but that may not be captured by chamber sampling. Nasal Rangers are better suited than the chamber techniques to monitor and record these instantaneous odour events. Trained odour assessors are also useful at determining duration and offensiveness of odour events in the field.

(Download PDF)    (Export to EndNotes)