"The ultimate goal of the initiative, which is expected to last six months, is to trace the origin of the odours. We did a similar investigation about five years ago in an industrial area close to where the bad smells are coming from now, said Beltrame. From that, we were able to identify the companies emitting the odours. Now we are broadening the geographical scope to find out if the same companies have resumed the release of bad smells or if there are different ones."
"Vicenza falls within the Po valley, a huge geographical area straddling the provinces around the Veneto region as well as Piedmont, Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna. The Po Valley is among the worst areas in Europe for air pollution. We're at the end of the valley just before the Alpine foothills, said Beltrame. So it's a huge undertaking because these areas are among the most productive, but they're also the ones at risk of creating pollution."
Brendola is recruiting six odour evaluators to identify and trace unpleasant smells in neighbourhoods near industrial zones. Candidates must not suffer from allergies or respiratory diseases, must have a car and a smartphone, and will use a dedicated app to record odour data. A specialist odour-measurement firm will train recruits to distinguish factory, industrial-waste, and sewage smells and to perform sensory assessments in targeted areas. The six-month initiative aims to trace odour origins and determine whether previously identified companies or new sources are responsible. Brendola is located at the end of the Po Valley, a region with high air pollution, and province-wide efforts address air quality.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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