Methodology for assessment the impact of environmental odours on the population according to questionnaire surveys (literature review)

Abstract

This article contains the review of methodological approaches to assessment of the perception by the population odours from industrial and other sources, and studying the relationship between the perception of odours with the both the health status and quality of resident’s life, the degree of odour annoyance, using questionnaires. The literature search was carried out using Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science, MedLine, Global Health, RSCI databases. The long-term practice of surveys of the population living in areas, where sources of emissions of odourous substances are located, has shown annoyance with odours to be a complex reaction, including emotional, behavioral, and somatic aspects. In addition to the direct impact of the odour, it is important to take into account contextual and personal factors that can weaken or strengthen the annoyance. Personal factors include the socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents, “environmental worry”, ways of responding to the situation and the subjective assessment of their own health. Contextual factors include the socio-economic conditions of the population and other indicators of the environmental state. These factors form the blocks included in the model of the relationship between odour impact, odour perception and odour annoyance, which is the basis of a standard questionnaire for a population survey. The questionnaire consists of basic and additional questions combined in several modules. The questions of the main module, which are obligatory and asked in all cases, devoted to the living conditions of the respondents, environmental factors (for example, noise and odours) that, in their opinion, can cause annoyance, have a negative impact on health. The questions of the additional modules (“Health”, “Behavioral changes”, “Environmental worry”) are asked depending on the context and specific objectives of the study. Using this methodology, numerous studies have been conducted abroad, which have shown the presence of correlations between the annoyance of odours, the occurrence of stress and the appearance of symptoms of various diseases. In different countries, the proportion of residents who are “significantly annoyed” by odours, is a criterion for authorities and enterprises to make certain management decisions to reduce emissions. The use of questionnaires can be implemented in the Russian Federation, where enterprises being sources of odours are located, in particular, if there is a problem with odours in the atmospheric air, while complying with the current sanitary legislation.