Modeling the Odor Generation in WWTP: An Integrated Approach Review

Nuisance odors generation from waste and wastewater treatment plants are a cause of public discomfort and complaints. This situation impairs the air quality and represents a growing social and public health problem, especially in developing countries. Several modeling approaches have been developed and successfully implemented in the frame of a wastewater treatment plant for both the biological treatment and physicochemical processes. The mathematical modeling of the odor generation process is still considered a quite complex issue, mainly due to the fact that olfactory nuisance can be caused by many different chemical compounds and the perception of odors is influenced by subjective thresholds. Moreover, the impact of odor sources on air quality is highly conditioned by complex atmospheric dispersion processes. This review presents a critical state-of-art and assessment where information related to odor emissions impact studies as well as modeling applications are compiled and discussed.