Hygienic justification for the classification of the danger of sources of emissions of substances having an olfactorial action

The purpose of the study is a comparative analysis and ranking of industries related to sources of olfactory exposure, depending on the odour’s “offensiveness” of their emissions. Material and methods. Experimental olfacto-odourimetric studies were carried out using a dynamic olfactometer ECOMA TO-8 on the example of fifteen mixtures of substances (over 4200 measurements) representing or simulating emissions from the industries including particle boards, vegetable oil from soybean and rapeseed seeds, coffee, perfumery and cosmetic products, food flavourings, tobacco products, as well as livestock operations, gas odourizing, and fuel oil steam treatment. Statistical data processing was performed using the computer software Probit Analysis (v.4.0). Analytical study of mixtures of substances contained in emissions was carried out using a FOCUS GC-DSQ-II chromato-mass spectrometer. Results. Based on the conducted olfacto-odourimetric studies of samples and models of emissions from the productions and technological processes related to sources of odour with the establishment of odour’s detection thresholds and the “offensiveness” thresholds of substances, a facilities’ hazard classification is proposed taking into account the odour’s “offensiveness” (“annoyance potential”) of emissions (extremely offensive, offensive, moderately offensive and slightly offensive), which makes it possible to update the current classification according to SanPiN 2.2.1./2.1.1.1200–03 (new edition) and the Decree of the Chief State Sanitary Doctor of the Russian Federation dated February 28, 2022 N 7. Limitations. The study’s limitations associated with the use of a relatively new experimental method for the presentation of odour stimuli and their registration, which requires additional testing, as well as with the possible transformation of substances during the delivery of emission samples to the laboratory. Conclusion. The methodology of the experimental odourimetric evaluation of multicomponent mixtures of odorous substances that are part of the emissions of various enterprises and municipal facilities makes it possible to quickly and rationally optimize the existing classification of industries according to the “offensiveness” criterion (or “annoyance potential”) of the odorous emissions.