ABSTRACT
The paper provides a general background to the need for odour research. The origin of the problem includes the changing attitude to agriculture and the changes in agricultural practice.
Complaints about smells can be reduced either by reducing the strength and/or offensiveness of the smell or by reducing the adverse reaction of human beings to the smell.
The majority of complaints are caused by pig farming in the UK and slurry spreading from pigs and cattle account for half the sources of complaint. Buildings and storage are less significant. this indicates that the greatest need for control is for slurry as spread, although treatment in storage may help both storage and spreading problems.
The basis for providing cordon sanitaire around offensive smell sources involves estimations of the distances travelled by smells. The vagaries of weather create difficulties here and precise measurement at one time can give misleading information. What is perhaps needed is rough estimates much more frequently. Short term peaks of odour may give rise to complaints without being easily recorded.
There are also important social factors in assessing people’s reactions to smells.
It is unlikely that any one approach alone will solve the problems of smell. The application of a battery of remedies as part of a total systems approach seems to offer the best possibility.
