SLOVENSKI STANDARD

SIST EN 16841-1:2017
01-julij-2017

=XQDQML]UDN'RORþHYDQMHYRQMDY]XQDQMHP]UDNXVWHUHQVNLPSUHJOHGRPGHO
5DVWUVNDPHWRGD

Ambient air - Determination of odour in ambient air by using field inspection - Part 1: Grid
method

Außenluft - Bestimmung von Geruchsstoffimmissionen durch Begehungen - Teil 1:

Rastermessung

Air ambiant - Détermination de l'exposition aux odeurs par mesures de terrain - Partie 1 :
Méthode de la grille

Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN 16841-1:2016

ICS:
13.040.20 Kakovost okoljskega zraka Ambient atmospheres

SIST EN 16841-1:2017 en,fr,de

2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.
SIST EN 16841-1:2017
 SIST EN 16841-1:2017

EUROPEAN STANDARD EN 16841-1

NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM November 2016

ICS 13.040.20

English Version

Ambient air - Determination of odour in ambient air by

using field inspection - Part 1: Grid method
Air ambiant - Détermination de la présence d'odeurs Außenluft - Bestimmung von Geruchsstoffimmissionen
par mesures de terrain - Partie 1 : Méthode de la grille durch Begehungen - Teil 1: Rastermessung

This European Standard was approved by CEN on 10 September 2016.

CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this
European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references
concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre or to any CEN
member.

This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by
translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management
Centre has the same status as the official versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania,
Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and
United Kingdom.

EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION

COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION
EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Avenue Marnix 17, B-1000 Brussels

© 2016 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. EN 16841-1:2016 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.
 SIST EN 16841-1:2017

EN 16841-1:2016 (E)

Contents Page

European foreword....................................................................................................................................................... 3
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................................... 4
1 Scope .................................................................................................................................................................... 5
2 Normative references .................................................................................................................................... 5
3 Terms and definitions ................................................................................................................................... 5
4 Symbols and abbreviations ......................................................................................................................... 9
5 Principle of measurement ........................................................................................................................ 10
6 Coordinator, assessors and panel members ...................................................................................... 14
6.1 Measurement leader and field observations coordinator ............................................................ 14
6.2 Assessors and panel members ................................................................................................................ 14
6.3 Panel instruction .......................................................................................................................................... 15
7 Planning of measurements and measurement procedure............................................................ 16
7.1 Health and safety .......................................................................................................................................... 16
7.2 Planning and performance of the field survey .................................................................................. 16
8 Data recording and calculation ............................................................................................................... 25
8.1 Data recording and calculating the percentage odour time ......................................................... 25
8.2 Criterion for positive single measurement (odour hour) ............................................................. 25
8.3 Calculation of the odour hour frequency............................................................................................. 25
9 Measurement uncertainty ........................................................................................................................ 27
9.1 General aspects ............................................................................................................................................. 27
9.2 Calculation of the uncertainty of the odour hour frequency in an assessment square ...... 28
10 Reporting of results ..................................................................................................................................... 29
Annex A (informative) Overview and interaction of existing odour measurement methods ....... 31
Annex B (informative) Training of assessors and instructions prior to grid measurements ....... 32
Annex C (informative) Examples for instructions and sheets .................................................................. 35
Annex D (informative) Example of the planning and evaluation of a grid measurement .............. 38
Annex E (informative) Example for check of temporal representativeness........................................ 43
Annex F (informative) Example for check of spatial meteorological representativeness.............. 45
Annex G (informative) Evaluation of odour hours and odour frequencies per assessment
square ............................................................................................................................................................... 47
Annex H (informative) Calculation of the uncertainty of a grid measurement .................................. 51
Bibliography ................................................................................................................................................................. 57

2
 SIST EN 16841-1:2017

EN 16841-1:2016 (E)

European foreword

This document (EN 16841-1:2016) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 264 “Air
quality”, the secretariat of which is held by DIN.

This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an
identical text or by endorsement, at the latest by May 2017, and conflicting national standards shall be
withdrawn at the latest by May 2017.

Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. CEN shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.

EN 16841, Ambient air - Determination of odour in ambient air by using field inspection consists of the
following parts:

— Part 1: Grid method

— Part 2: Plume method

According to the CEN-CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organisations of the
following countries are bound to implement this European Standard: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria,
Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,
France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta,
Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
Turkey and the United Kingdom.

3
 SIST EN 16841-1:2017

EN 16841-1:2016 (E)

Introduction

Part 1 (grid method) and Part 2 (plume method) of this European Standard describe methods for direct
assessment of odours in ambient air.
This European Standard supplements the dynamic olfactometry method described in EN 13725 which
is generally only suitable for measurement of odour emissions at source. As the practical lower
detection limit is typically ≥ 10 ouE/m3, EN 13725 cannot be applied to directly determine odour
exposure in the field (i.e. measure faint odours at the concentration where they can just be recognized).
The methods for measuring odour presented in this European Standard make direct use of odour
perception, the effect of odorants on the human sense of smell. The standard involves the use of
qualified human panel members in the field to directly assess the presence of recognizable odour in
ambient air, and provide data that can be used to characterize odour exposure in a defined assessment
area. The standard presents two key approaches summarized as follows:
— Part 1 (presented in this document) describes a grid method which uses direct assessment of
ambient air by panel members to characterize odour exposure in a defined assessment area.

— Part 2 describes a plume method to characterize the presence of odour by determining the extent
of the downwind odour plume of a source.

Although the ultimate application of this method is in monitoring the risk of exposure to odours and the
resulting odour annoyance, there is no direct relation between the presence of recognizable odours and
the occurrence of odour annoyance. The process leading to odour annoyance being experienced by an
individual or a community is highly complex. Additional investigations are necessary to establish a link
between odour exposure and the risk of odour annoyance, which is profoundly influenced by odour
exposure frequency, by the type and hedonic tone of the odour perceived, and by the characteristics of
those exposed to the odour (the receptor). The relationship between odour exposure and annoyance is
not within the scope of this European Standard.
The sensory methods described here are only suitable for the assessment of odour in ambient air. They
are not suitable for the assessment of substances that cannot be detected by sensory methods, in
particular when these substances may cause health effects not directly related to their perceived smell.

4
 SIST EN 16841-1:2017

EN 16841-1:2016 (E)

1 Scope
This part of the European Standard describes the grid method for the determination of the level of
odour exposure in ambient air. It provides a set of instructions for measurement of ambient odour
exposure within a defined assessment area, using qualified human panel members, over a sufficiently
long period of time to be representative for the meteorological conditions of that location, and hence
determine the distribution of the frequency of exposure to odours within the assessment area. The
sources of the odorant under study may be located within or outside the assessment area.
The primary application of this European Standard is to provide a common basis for evaluation of
exposure to ambient odours in the member states of the European Union. The field of application of this
type of measurement is to characterize the level of odour exposure within the study area, in order to
assess whether the impact of that exposure on resident population could be a justified cause for
annoyance, using exposure criteria. The unit of measurement of the method is the frequency of odour
hours for an assessment square, defined by four measurement points as a representative value for
odour exposure for local conditions, e.g. local odour sources and the meteorology of that location.
This European Standard does not include:
— the measurement of intensity of ambient odours,

— the measurement of hedonic tone of ambient odours,

— the calculation of odour exposure in specific weather conditions in order to determine the
frequency distribution of recognizable odour in an odorant plume,

— the calculation of estimated source emission rate from plume assessment using reverse dispersion
modelling.

An overview of the interaction between existing odour exposure assessment methods is given in
Annex A, including grid method (Part 1), plume method (Part 2) and olfactometry according to
EN 13725.

2 Normative references
The following documents, in whole or in part, are normatively referenced in this document and are
indispensable for its application. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated
references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
EN 13725:2003, Air quality - Determination of odour concentration by dynamic olfactometry

3 Terms and definitions

For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
3.1
assessment area
area which covers all assessment squares of a grid
Note 1 to entry: The size and shape depend on the objective of the assessment and on the number and type of
odorant sources that have an influence on the odour exposure in the area of study.

3.2
assessment square
element of the assessment area, defined by four adjoining measurement points on the grid
Note 1 to entry: Assessment squares are only necessary at locations where an odour assessment is required.
These are generally residential areas or stand-alone houses.

5
 SIST EN 16841-1:2017

EN 16841-1:2016 (E)

3.3
assessor
somebody who participates in odour testing

[SOURCE: EN 13725:2003, 3.1.5]

3.4
field inspection
measuring odours in ambient air using panel members

3.5
field observations coordinator
individual responsible for the correct execution of the field measurement procedure

3.6
field survey
total of single measurements required to characterize an exposure level in an assessment area affected
by one or more sources or emitting installations

3.7
grid
all assessment squares of the assessment area

3.8
hedonic tone (of an odour)
degree to which an odour is perceived as pleasant or unpleasant

3.9
measurement duration
time required to conduct a single measurement

Note 1 to entry: The measurement duration for a single measurement is 10 min.

3.10
measurement leader
individual responsible for the quality assurance of the measurement

Note 1 to entry: The measurement leader can be the same person as the field observations coordinator.

3.11
measurement point
location where single measurements are carried out

Note 1 to entry: Measurements points are only necessary at locations where an odour assessment is required.
These are generally residential areas or stand-alone houses.

3.12
measurement round
measurement points to be inspected by one panel member during one measurement day constitute a
measurement round

6
 SIST EN 16841-1:2017

EN 16841-1:2016 (E)

3.13
observation
assessment of the presence or absence of recognizable odour during a single measurement once. One
single measurement consists of 60 observations

Note 1 to entry: A positive observation is given when a recognizable odour is detected.

3.14
odorant
substance whose volatiles can be perceived by the olfactory organ (including nerves)

[SOURCE: ISO 5492:2008, 1.35]

3.15
odour
sensation perceived by means of the olfactory organ in sniffing certain volatile substances

[SOURCE: ISO 5492:2008, 3.18]

3.16
odour detection
to become aware of the sensation resulting from adequate stimulation of the olfactory system

[SOURCE: EN 13725:2003, 3.1.47]

3.17
odour exposure
contact of a human with a defined recognizable odour type, quantified as the amount of odorant(s)
available for inhalation at any particular moment

Note 1 to entry: As odours have no effect below the detection limit of the human subject, exposure to
recognizable odours may be characterized as the frequency of occurrence of concentrations above a certain
odorant concentration (the recognition limit).

3.18
odour exposure indicator
characteristic of the environment assessed to provide evidence of the occurrence and/or magnitude of
human exposure to a specific odour type

Note 1 to entry: It is related to assessment squares and given by the odour hour frequency.

3.19
odour hour
odour hour is obtained by a single measurement when the percentage odour time reaches or exceeds
10 % by convention

Note 1 to entry: A test result of one single measurement can be positive for more than one distinct odour types.

3.20
odour hour frequency
ratio of positive test results (number of odour hours) to the total number of test results for an
assessment square (or in special cases for a measurement point)

7
 SIST EN 16841-1:2017

EN 16841-1:2016 (E)

3.21
intensity
<sensation> magnitude of the perceived sensation

[SOURCE: ISO 5492:2008, 2.8]

3.22
intensity
<stimulus> magnitude of the stimulus causing the perceived sensation

[SOURCE: ISO 5492:2008, 2.9]

3.23
odour recognition (in ambient air)
odour sensation in ambient air that allows positive identification of the odour type

3.24
odour type
odour that can be recognized and assigned to a certain installation or source

Note 1 to entry: Odour types are defined specifically for one survey. One installation can emit more than one
odour type. Several installations can emit the same odour type

3.25
olfactory
pertaining to the sense of smell

[SOURCE: EN 13725:2003, 3.1.54]

3.26
panel
group of panel members

[SOURCE: EN 13725:2003, 3.1.59]

3.27
panel member
assessor who is qualified to perform field inspections according to subclause 6.2 of this standard

3.28
panel selection
procedure to determine which assessors are qualified as panel members

[SOURCE: EN 13725:2003, 3.1.62]

3.29
percentage odour time
fraction, expressed as a percentage, of positive observations for one or more odour types made for one
single measurement

Note 1 to entry: One single measurement consists of 60 observations.

8
 SIST EN 16841-1:2017

EN 16841-1:2016 (E)

3.30
quality assurance
all those planned and systematic actions necessary to provide adequate confidence that a product,
process or service will satisfy given requirements for quality

3.31
single measurement
procedure to obtain recorded observations at a given moment at a given measurement point necessary
to determine absence or presence of recognizable odour

Note 1 to entry: One single measurement results in the test result ‘odour hour’ or ‘non-odour hour’.

3.32
survey duration
time (six or twelve months) over which all single measurements are carried out

3.33
survey scale
number of single measurements (52 or 104) conducted during the survey duration

3.34
test result
value of a characteristic obtained by completely carrying out a specific measurement, once

[SOURCE: ISO 5725-1:1994, 3.2, modified]

Note 1 to entry: In this standard a positive test result is an odour hour obtained by a single measurement.

4 Symbols and abbreviations

For the purposes of this document, the following symbols and abbreviations apply.

Fod,rel,A,i Odour exposure indicator as the relative odour hour frequency per assessment
square, specified according to odour type

Fod Odour exposure indicator as the percentage of the odour hour frequency per
assessment square of odour hours, specified according to odour type

L+ Number of positive observations per single measurement

nA Number of odour hours per assessment square

nA,i Number of odour hours per assessment square, specified according to odour
type i

nMP Number of odour hours per measurement point

N Survey scale (number of measurements per assessment square)

Pod Percentage odour time

Indices

9
 SIST EN 16841-1:2017

EN 16841-1:2016 (E)

xA Running index of assessment squares

xi Running index of surveyed odour type

xlimit Limit value

xlo Lower limit

xMP Measurement point

xod Odour

xrel Relative frequency

xup Upper limit

5 Principle of measurement
The grid method is a statistical survey method which is applied over a sufficiently long period of time, to
provide a representative map of the exposure to recognizable odour, spatially distributed over the
assessment area. These grid measurements are used to determine the distribution of the odour hour
frequency for recognizable odours in ambient air in an assessment area under meteorological
conditions that are assumed to be representative for the local meteorology (e.g. the last ten years).
The odour hour frequency is an odour exposure indicator, and can be used to assess the exposure to
recognizable odour originating from one or many specific odorant source(s) emitting in a particular
area of study.
The odour hour frequency is determined for one or more assessment squares, configured as a grid of
measurement points. An example is given in Figure 1.

10
 SIST EN 16841-1:2017

EN 16841-1:2016 (E)

Figure 1 — Example for an assessment area in the surrounding of an odorant source with
assessment squares and measurement points

The odour hour frequency for an assessment square is determined by making repeated single
measurements by human panel members at the measurement points that define the corners of the
assessment square. Each measurement point is measured repeatedly, for example 26 times at regular
intervals over a one-year field survey duration. One single measurement results in the test result ‘odour
hour’ or ‘non-odour hour’. By summing up the total number of odour hour test results for the four
points defining an assessment square, divided by the total number of single measurements conducted
at these four measurement points, the odour hour frequency for the assessment square is calculated.
This principle is shown in schematic form in Figure 2.

Figure 2 — Schematic representation of the calculation of the odour hour frequency for an
assessment square from the combined results obtained for the measurement points at the
corners

11