FAQs

Odors surf the airstream in a gas state. Our dynamic waterless vapor-phase systems can be applied to the working face of a landfill, around the perimeter of a waste facility or odor emitting source or along ridge vents of a greenhouse for plant odor control. Using our patented uniform vapor-distribution, our technology delivers a consistent and controllable level of odor neutralizing product via an engineered pipe distribution system. Byers’ vapor-phase systems utilize a third party vetted and tested plant-based broad spectrum neutralizer custom formulated to mitigate common odors from a variety of industries (e.g., solid waste, industrial-scale composting, commercial agriculture). Adsorption, more specifically Van der Waals Forces, is the reaction that uses weak electrostatic bonding to mitigate malodor molecules. Odor mitigation through the deployment of plant-based neutralizers is predicated on contact with odor molecules and unlike misting applications that push odors to the ground, vapor meets odor molecules in the air and neutralizes them on contact. Vapor has a higher probability of contact with malodors than misted particles due to collective surface area, space and time.

In Byers atomization systems, odor neutralizer is injected into a high-pressure water source creating tiny ultra-fine (<10 microns) atomized (fog) droplets that stay airborne and move with the air stream to come in contact with and adsorb malodor molecules resulting in odor mitigation, not masking. The overall volume of ultra-fine neutralizer droplets creates significant surface area, increasing the system’s ability to adsorb malodors. Atomization systems are a good alternative to vapor-phase systems for applications that are not passively venting. Examples include large exhaust fans and points where HVAC exhausts to ambient air.

Landfill odor can come from the leachate, improper landfill gas collection systems and improper utilization of daily cover in the solid waste industry. Gas samples from landfill leachate have been determined to contain ~130 Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and Volatile Sulfur Compounds (VSCs) and at least 49 of them are documented as odorants. These compounds are mainly hydrocarbons, sulfur compounds, halogenalkanes, and oxygenated hydrocarbons. The process of bacteria breaking down trash in the absence of oxygen produces the common and explosive landfill gas, methane. Some of these VOCs are also very toxic. It is estimated that more than 99% of landfill gas is comprised of CH4 and CO2.

Odor neutralization is the actual removal of odor molecules through a chemical reaction and is predicated on physical contact of a neutralizing agent with a malodor molecule. Effective neutralization results in an active chemistry reaction that ultimately changes the molecular structure of the malodor compound, and thereby effects the receptors in our olfactory senses. In contrast, masking does not alter the molecular structure of the malodors but rather seeks to overwhelm (or mask) those molecules with additional more pleasant-smelling molecules; however, this approach is often ineffective as the resulting odors from the mix of odor compounds can itself be a nuisance. For this reason, the proper approach to industrial odor mitigation and commercial odor control has been and remains neutralization.

Some  plant emissions are made up of terpenes, thiols, and other compounds. Terpenes, or Biogenic Volatile Organic Compounds (BVOCs), have no public health impact when breathed in. BVOCs, when mixed with sunlight and reactions with other combustion emissions, can cause the formation of ozone and particulate matter (PM). The determination of impact to air quality from commercial cultivation is highly dependent upon the amount of emissions from combustion sources and the meteorological conditions in the proposed environment. For example, the urban areas of Denver, Colorado, and British Columbia, Canada, have large combustion sources but relatively little in the amount of BVOCs that are available. Thus, these areas are known as VOC-limited and in these circumstances BVOCs being emitted from large-scale crop cultivation have the potential to form ozone and PM. The proper identification and measurement of plant emissions, coupled with air quality models, can help determine the extent of impact and guide the best possible control technologies. These technologies can mitigate these emissions before they reach the ambient air and significantly reduce the potential negative impacts to human health.

A comprehensive VOC analysis of commercial agriculture facilities enables the highly sensitive detection of over 200 plant volatiles, including terpenoids and organic sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen compounds. Only by using the leaf enclosure method can the Byers Emissions Analysis team determine the types and volumes of site-specific terpenes and other compounds emitted by the plant. Ambient air sampling at a cultivation site will provide a very limited view of the complex and highly variable compounds emitted from the plants. However, our testing and analysis methods, including utilization of Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), will reveal a canopy’s actual emissions profile, allowing the calculation of a gas-phase emission rate of cultivation or an entire facility. This valuable information can be used to make better informed decisions with respect to odor control strategy and compliance/risk assessment.