Specific Odour Emission Rate (SOER)

Overview

Determines the odour concentration per time and area (flux).  It is calculated by taking the product of the odour concentration and flow rate inside a sampling hood, divided by the area of the hood used to perform the measurement.  The area represents a ‘hood’ covering over the source such as a wind tunnel or static flux hood. 

Example

if a pond (passive area source) has an odour concentration after olfactometry analysis of 500OU/m3, the flow rate of neutral gas into the static flux hood was 2L/min (0.002m3/min) and the area of the static flux hood covering the surface is 0.6m2, then:
SOER = (500OU/m3 * 0.002m3/min)/0.6m2 = 1.67OU/m2/min