Partner: Louisville Metro Air Pollution Control District (LMAPCD)
Challenge: Need for a sensor system that can detect unpleasant smelling air toxics 
Resource: Technology development and field implementation of novel air monitoring instrument
Project Period: 2018 – 2020

The Rubbertown area in west Louisville, Kentucky, like many other urban areas, is challenged with significant air quality issues arising from the fugitive volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions released by multiple local industrial pollution sources. The VOC emissions released from these industrial facilities, including over 10 chemical facilities and a municipal wastewater treatment facility, have been contributing to elevated levels of air toxic and malodorous, or bad smelling, VOC compounds that can cause negative health effects on the nearby Rubbertown communities. Fugitive odorous emissions are highly variable in nature and are, therefore, particularly challenging to detect, yet they give rise to odor concerns and cause stress in affected communities.

“The Louisville Metro Air Pollution Control District is currently working on a collaborative project with EPA using novel measurement technology – the oVET – to “sniff” and sample when elevated volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are detected. Investigating objectionable odors from VOCs in a complex airshed with multiple industrial sources is challenging. With nearby residences, being able to quickly identify and quantify VOCs would be a tremendous aid in odor complaint investigations.” – Louisville Metro Air Pollution Control District, Interim Director Rachael Hamilton

EPA ORD researchers collaborated with the Louisville Metro Air Pollution Control District (LMAPCD) and EPA Region 4 (Southeast) to develop and demonstrate an innovative VOC sensor system to measure odor causing air toxic VOCs that are suspected of contributing to odor issues in the Rubbertown area. The new measurement technology―called an odor VOC Emissions Tracker (oVET)―was constructed and deployed by EPA ORD in Rubbertown in 2018-2020 with the support of LMAPCD and EPA Region 4. It combines several next-generation measurement approaches to detect and quantify fugitive odorous emissions near industrial facilities. 

The project team conducted a field demonstration of the technology in Rubbertown to evaluate its ability to detect the source of odors in the ambient air. The oVET generated ambient measurements of odor causing air toxics coupled with real-time VOC sensor and wind readings. The measurements produced during the field effort are currently under review, and preliminary findings have been communicated to a wider audience in scientific meetings. The final results from this work are expected to provide the community and LMAPCD with actionable information on pollution sources contributing to odor issues in Rubbertown that can help to mitigate future odorous air toxic emissions.