Air Dust Odour | Chartered Air Quality Assessment Professionals
What is an EMAQ Plus Kitchen Odour Assessment?
The Air Dust Odour Blog
Article by Malcolm Pounder
Founder of Air Dust Odour and Chartered Environmentalist, Malcolm Pounder, discusses EMAQ Plus kitchen odour assessmens, for the Air Dust Odour Blog...
What is a Kitchen Odour Assessment?
A kitchen odour assessment is an evaluation conducted to determine the impact of kitchen smells or odours - such as from cooking, food preparation, or ventilation - on the surrounding environment.
This type of assessment is especially important in the context of planning applications, building regulations, or environmental control, particularly in residential or mixed-use developments, where odors could potentially affect the quality of life for nearby residents or businesses.
What is EMAQ Plus (EMAQ+)
An EMAQ Plus Kitchen Odour Assessment refers to an odour assessment process that follows the guidelines set out by the EMAQ+ (Environmental Management for Air Quality) guidance, which provides a framework for managing and controlling air quality in a variety of contexts, including kitchen emissions. EMAQ+ is often used in commercial kitchen planning and design to ensure compliance with air quality standards, particularly concerning the management of kitchen odours.
Here’s a breakdown of what an EMAQ Plus Kitchen Odour Assessment typically involves:
What is the Purpose of EMAQ Plus (EMAQ+)?
EMAQ Plus is a best-practice framework that provides guidelines for managing kitchen air quality and controlling the emissions of odours, smoke, and pollutants. It is commonly used by kitchen designers, planners, and developers to ensure that commercial kitchens do not adversely affect the surrounding environment, particularly residential or sensitive areas, with cooking smells.
What is the EMAQ Plus Assessment Process (EMAQ+)?
Identifying Odour Sources: The assessment first identifies all potential sources of odour in the kitchen, such as cooking appliances (grills, ovens, fryers), food preparation areas, waste areas, and ventilation systems.
Ventilation Design: EMAQ Plus focuses heavily on the ventilation design, ensuring that it is adequate for the size and type of kitchen. It examines how the kitchen's ventilation system can extract and filter air to minimise the release of odours into the environment.
EMAQ Plus Compliance (EMAQ+)
The EMAQ Plus assessment ensures that the kitchen complies with local environmental laws and air quality standards related to odour emissions. For instance, there are thresholds for the intensity of odours that can be emitted from commercial kitchens.
Kitchens must meet strict emission control measures (e.g., using high-efficiency filters, UV systems, or ozone treatment).
EMAQ+ Reports
After conducting the assessment, a final EMAQ Plus (EMAQ+) Kitchen Odour Assessment report is produced. This document outlines the findings, including:
- The sources of odours in the kitchen.
- The predicted dispersion of these odours.
- Recommendations for odour management measures.