ANALYSIS OF OLFACTIVE DISCONFORT, GENERATED BY INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITIES NEIGHBORING RESIDENTIAL AREAS, AFFECTING THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND HEALTH OF POPULATION.

One of the major environmental problems that is currently being raised is the olfactory discomfort. At present, the odor parameter is not regulated in national legislation, rather than in the Odor Immission Directive - OID- edition of 21 September 2004. The lack of a legal framework in terms of odor immissions constitutes an impediment for health of affected population and might have repercussions also on the economic development of the areas. Odors are one of the most emerging issues related to odor immissions from industrial plants and household waste dumps. This discomfort represents a complex problem to solve because of the subjective characteristics of olfactory perception and the difficulty of identifying the source of emissions. The objective of this study is to compare different techniques in assessing odor concentrations in the ambient air, namely olfactometry measurements using the human nose (measures effects of odor perceived by an observer) and analytical measurements (describes odors in terms of their chemical composition and attempts to quantify the odorants present). Both methods have drawbacks because sensory measurements may be too subjective in interpreting the results, and analytical measurements are complicated because of the large number of odorants often present at concentrations close to detection limits of measuring equipment. This paper highlights the relationship between any activity that can be a source of odor (industrial, agricultural, household, etc.) and the release of odors. Such a relationship is important and critical in the reduction of odors, in order to understand that any activity that results in smelling gases can affect, over time, both the quality of environment and health of population. Moreover, the paper presents some hydrogen sulphide (H2S) and ammonia (NH3) measurements performed in residential areas in Hunedoara County, compounds clearly identified as major odors specific to urban areas because of their high olfactory impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]