Would you like to work in a stinky workplace or reside inside a neighborhood that smells bad? We all know the answer is going to be a strict no. After all, the odor can cause discomfort and affects your mood in the long term. Therefore, let’s discuss the need to establish odor or fume control.
Odor Vs. Fumes – What’s The Difference?
Fume is often portrayed as a mist of chemicals and gases that is dangerous to inhale. To start with, chemical reactions such as heating or sublimation can produce fumes. Sublimation occurs in volatile solids that convert directly from solid to gas by skipping the liquid phase.
Characteristically, fumes have an unpleasant smell and equally unpleasant health effects. On the other hand, the odor is a term coined for any gas that smells, so all fumes are odors. Moreover, the odor can be anything with pleasant or unpleasant scents. However, here we will refer to bad smelling odors, including fumes.
Some Common Causes Of Odours:
Odor in domestic settings indicates that something is off the mark. Common household odor reasons include:
Natural Gas Leaks: Naturally, natural gas doesn’t possess any smell or is odorless. Hence, chemicals are mixed with this gas to give off the pungent smell of rotten eggs. This can help point out natural gas leaks so the fault can be rectified before the gas accumulates to dangerous quantities. A high accumulation of gas can lead to explosions and fires because the gas is highly flammable.
Organic Smell: “Natural” compounds such as food, manure, or compost contribute to odor problems when they are left to rot. This mostly occurs during the formation of compost. Hence, when you detect a strong stench from your compost, you might need to aerate it a little by mixing it up using a pitchfork.
However, the major contributors to the odor problems are factories and industries. Many consumer and industrial products make use of VOCs ( volatile organic compounds). These also possess sublimation properties, so they readily evaporate and enter the atmosphere bringing alongside its earthy and unpleasant odor. In addition, to VOC a few sulfide compounds are a pain for your olfactory sensors. Especially hydrogen sulfide that is characterized by the smell of rotten eggs.
Why Are Fumes And Odour Such A Nuisance?
Before we appreciate the importance of odor and fume control, we must understand any health implications it may pose. First, constant exposure to odor may cause irritation and mood swings that can affect your productivity. However, mood swings and productivity issues fail in comparison to some fumes that can cause serious symptoms. These can include irritation of the eyes, nose, and lungs. Moreover, at times burning sensations accompany exposure to odor and fumes that can lead to coughing and wheezing. Therefore, a stinky workplace is an OSHA violation. Moreover, if odors and fumes escape in the environment, companies might be penalized under EPA regulations.
Therefore, shop for odor and fume control units from our collection and keep your environment safe and healthy. You can contact Clean Liquid at 713-253-0100.