Are different types of odour more or less likely to cause annoyance?
Yes. The offensiveness of the odour perceived by a receptor is a factor that will determine the likelihood of annoyance. More offensive odours cause annoyance at lower concentrations, while less offensive odours cause annoyance at higher concentrations. The range between the annoyance criteria applied for the most offensive and least offensive odours is typically in the region of a factor 10. For example, in the Netherlands the most stringent criterion is 0.5 ouE/m3 to 1 ouE/m3 (for extremely offensive odours generated from rendering operations) and least stringent is around 8 to 10 ouE/m3 (for relatively pleasant odours generated by bakeries etc). It should be noted that even pleasant odours (bakeries, perfumeries) can cause annoyance if the concentration, frequency and duration of exposure is great enough.
