Enhance site safety and protect employees and communities

Smart solutions for proactive and active environmental risk management

Your facilities for processing municipal and industrial waste are vital for environmental protection, converting waste into reusable resources and ensuring the safe disposal of non-recyclable materials. However, you face complex challenges with air quality, both inside and outside your facilities, impacting employee safety and reducing nuisances for surrounding communities.

At Ellona, we assist you in addressing these challenges with our advanced monitoring technology. Our real-time detection systems precisely monitor both indoor and outdoor air quality, swiftly identifying gas emissions, odors, and particulates. This proactive detection enables early warnings and timely, precise r

emediation actions, such as activating misting systems or implementing other corrective measures.

This approach ensures a healthier and safer work environment for your employees while minimizing the impact of your operations on nearby areas. By anticipating pollutant-related risks and applying effective solutions, you enhance your facility’s performance, safeguard your employees’ health, and protect your infrastructure. Additionally, our solutions support compliance with stringent environmental regulations, reducing the risk of penalties and strengthening your relationships with local authorities.

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A one-of-a-kind approach for your operations

Examples of KPIs for the industrial and household waste treatment sector

Multiple emission sources we address

The municipal and industrial waste management sector faces numerous sources of emissions and nuisances, both within facilities and at their periphery. These issues extend beyond air pollution, significantly affecting the quality of life for neighboring communities and impacting the health and safety of workers. Key categories include:

  1. Emissions from waste treatment processes: These emissions encompass greenhouse gases (GHGs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and other hazardous pollutants generated during incineration, composting, or biological waste treatment. Such processes can also produce intense, persistent odors, which can be a major nuisance to surrounding communities.
  2. Emissions from support and maintenance equipment: Equipment such as incinerators, boilers, leachate treatment systems, and cooling and compression units not only release atmospheric pollutants but can also cause noise and vibrations, disrupting both workers and nearby residents.
  3. Pollution from fixed infrastructure: Systems for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), as well as energy generators, contribute to noise and vibrations. These essential components for continuous facility operation can negatively affect the quality of life around waste management sites.
  4. Emissions and nuisances from vehicle traffic and logistics: The transportation of waste to treatment facilities, along with the movement of service vehicles and mobile equipment, results in exhaust emissions and significant noise. The constant traffic of trucks can lead to road safety concerns and increased soil pollution around the sites.

These various sources of emissions and nuisances have a profound impact on the environment, public health, and the quality of life for nearby communities. Additionally, indoor air quality within treatment sites—such as sorting centers and waste processing areas—remains a critical concern for employee safety and well-being.

In this challenging context, Ellona’s advanced environmental monitoring systems play a crucial role. Our solutions provide precise, real-time monitoring of particles, gases, odors, noise, and vibrations, empowering site managers to effectively manage and mitigate these issues.

The main intervention centers and units:

Where are our actions making an impact?

Each industry sector has its specificities.

Discover, through this diagram, how our various systems can help you ensure better safety and a healthier environment for your employees, operators, and surrounding communities.

Unité de valorisation energétique
Centre de tri des déchets
Centre de stockage des déchets ultimes

Ellona designs tailored products for the waste treatment sector.

Ellona designs specialized products for the waste treatment sector, delivering advanced solutions for real-time monitoring tailored to the industry’s specific challenges.

The WT1 Pro is engineered for precise monitoring of both surface and ducted emissions in industrial environments, offering accurate identification and quantification of odors in compliance with EN 13725 and ASTM 679 standards. For less demanding areas, the WT1 Lite provides a cost-effective solution for efficient monitoring at site peripheries.

For indoor environments such as offices and reception areas, the POD2 ensures accurate emission tracking. The DUSTKAIR, a portable device, is designed for dusty settings like sorting cabins, offering flexible and precise particle monitoring.

Our suite of tools—including the WT1 Pro, WT1 Lite, POD2, DUSTKAIR, and the EllonaSoft platform—provides comprehensive monitoring of pollution sources across energy recovery units, storage centers, sorting facilities, and organic recovery centers.

The main parameters we monitor in your sector:

Our commitment
for waste treatment sites

Comprehensive environmental monitoring:

  • Establish a robust system for monitoring odor emissions to minimize impact on neighboring communities.
  • Implement continuous monitoring of gas and particulate emissions to ensure effective management of atmospheric discharges.
  • Identify, quantify, and alert on environmental emission and odor issues with precision and efficiency.
  • Utilize advanced technologies for real-time emission monitoring to ensure immediate responsiveness when regulatory thresholds are exceeded. This enables the precise and timely implementation of appropriate remediation actions, such as activating misting systems or other corrective measures, to address issues effectively and accurately.

Expertise and technological innovation:

  • Apply advanced particle monitoring methods to assess and minimize risks to air quality.
  • Anticipate odor dispersion patterns and assist clients in taking appropriate preventive measures.
  • Objectively identify odor compounds in each area, facilitating impartial resolution of odor issues based on scientific data.
  • Conduct analyses at site peripheries and at source points to ensure comprehensive coverage of areas of interest.

Compliance, awareness, and optimization:

  • Ensure full compliance with current environmental standards regarding odor, gas, and particulate emissions.
  • Develop emergency procedures for prompt response in case of exceeding allowed limits.
  • Raise stakeholder awareness about measures taken to reduce odor and environmental impacts.
  • Use monitoring data to engage in continuous improvement efforts aimed at optimizing processes and further reducing emissions.

The benefits
of our products for your operations

  • Enhanced employee health and safety:
    Continuous monitoring of gas and odor emissions ensures a healthier and safer work environment for your employees, thereby reducing the risks associated with exposure to atmospheric pollutants.
  • Compliance with environmental regulations:
    Our solutions help you remain compliant with environmental standards and current regulations, ensuring adherence to legal norms and regulatory requirements.
  • Improved operational efficiency:
    Real-time monitoring of environmental emissions allows for the optimization of operational processes, identification of inefficiencies, and continuous improvement for more effective facility management.
  • Strengthening the exemplary image of your sites:
    By demonstrating your commitment to proactive monitoring and reduction of atmospheric emissions, you enhance your company’s image of social and environmental responsibility, thereby boosting its reputation and credibility.
  • Reduction of neighbor complaints:
    By anticipating and addressing odor-related issues, you minimize nuisances for local communities, thereby reducing complaints from neighbors and improving relations with local stakeholders.
  • Environmental and health assurance:
    Our solutions provide constant monitoring and responsive measures to environmental events, ensuring the health and safety of your employees and the protection of the environment.

Regulatory standards for the waste treatment sector

Regulatory requirements cover a broad range of controls and obligations aimed at minimizing the impacts of atmospheric emissions from waste treatment facilities, protecting air quality, public health, and the environment. Operators must not only adhere to specific pollutant limits but also adopt best available techniques and carry out continuous monitoring to ensure ongoing and sustainable compliance.

EUROPEAN DIRECTIVES AND NATIONAL REGULATIONS

Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) 2010/75/EU

  • Objective: Prevention and reduction of air pollution from industrial facilities, including waste treatment plants.
  • Requirements: Use of Best Available Techniques (BAT) to limit emissions.
  • Standards and limits:
    Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs): Typical limit of 50 mg/m³.
    Sulfur Dioxide (SO₂): Limit of 50 to 200 mg/Nm³ (normal cubic meter).
    Nitrogen Oxides (NOₓ): Limit of 200 to 500 mg/Nm³.
    Fine Particles (PM10 and PM2.5): Limit of 10 to 50 mg/Nm³ depending on the industrial process.
    Greenhouse gases (GHG): Specifically for methane (CH₄), a limit of 3,000 ppmv (parts per million by volume) for large installations.

National regulations

  • Objective: Each country in the European Union (and beyond) has its own specific laws and regulations concerning atmospheric emissions from waste treatment facilities.
  • Examples :
    • France: The decree of February 2, 1998 establishes specific limits for atmospheric emissions from facilities classified for environmental protection (ICPE). Here are some of the main limits concerning gases and particles:
      Unspecified VOCs: 110 mg/Nm³.
      NOx (expressed as NO₂): 300 mg/Nm³ for boilers, 500 mg/Nm³ for other facilities.
      SO₂ : 500 mg/Nm³.
      Fine particles PM10: Specific limit under certain conditions.
      CO : 50 mg/Nm³.
    • Germany: TA Luft (Technical Instructions on Air Quality Control) regulation imposes strict limits on atmospheric pollutant emissions.
      Unspecified VOCs: 50 mg/Nm³
      NOx (expressed as NO₂): 200 mg/Nm³ for large combustion installations, 500 mg/Nm³ for smaller installations
      SO₂ : 400 mg/Nm³ for boilers, 200 mg/Nm³ for other facilities.
      Total dust: 20 mg/Nm³
      Fine particles PM10: Specific limit under certain conditions.
      CO : 50 mg/Nm³.

Monitoring and reporting requirements

  • Periodic reports: Facilities must submit compliance reports to the relevant authorities, including measurement results and performance evaluations against regulatory limits.
  • Continuous monitoring: Operators must install continuous monitoring systems for emissions of VOCs, NOₓ, SO₂, particulates, and other pollutants.

Management of odor nuisances

  • Specific standards for odors: Limits on permissible odor levels, often measured in European Odor Units (OUE).
    Threshold perception concentration: Typically 1 OUE/m³.
    Olfactory comfort limits: Often set between 3 to 5 OUE/m³ for residential areas.

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