Odour management tools--filling the gaps.

In many countries the approach to odour management and regulation is increasingly based on quantitative techniques and criteria for acceptable exposure to odours in the living environment. A range of tools exists for implementing this approach, from emission measurement to assessment of effects. Some of these tools are well developed and validated, such as the use of olfactometry in laboratories operating according to international standards (EN13725:2003) and applying quality control and assessment systems under strict supervision by accreditation bodies. But other tools, while widely used, which are really still in the development stage, without standardisation or adequate validation. And then there are those that are still on the "wish list" of methods we would like to have in our toolbox. This paper contains a gap analysis that aims to provoke discussion on the needs for concerted R&D, standardisation and validation.