I am intrigued by the potential of a newish gadget to improve
odour monitoring, including self-monitoring by regulated entities.
The Nasal
Ranger is a handheld "field olfactometer", an
alternative to conventional odour panels that can be used on the
spot. The Ranger is designed for US states which regulate odours by
the number of dilutions necessary to make them imperceptible; most
allow a dilution level of 7, which is much less demanding than
Ontario's 1 odour unit. Still, it seems likely to also provide
the data needed in Ontario. A field instrument should be quicker
and cheaper to use than a conventional odour survey, and therefore
can be used much more frequently. It should therefore provide a
truer assessment of actual odour frequencies, for both those on
both sides of an odour dispute.
