Integrated environmental authorization: odour monitoring through unmanned aerial vehicles

To protect environment and public health, in the European Union industrial activity is subjected to Integrated Environmental Authorization (IEA), according to the provisions of the Directive 2010/75/UE. In Italy, the Legislative Decree n. 152/2006 regulates IEA procedure and states that ISPRA is responsible for the elaboration of a Monitoring and Control Plan (MCP) for large industrial plants, where odour impact assessment can be required. Currently, odour monitoring is mainly carried out through dynamic olfactometry, which requires odour sampling. Such an activity can inevitably expose workers to occupational risks. So, to avoid/limit risks for workers involved in odour impact assessment, the authors investigated the scientific literature on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) through SciVal engine, recently recognized as a successful tool for different purposes. Hence, the paper’s aim is evaluating the opportunity to use UAVs for odour monitoring and their influencing factors, as well as addressing further research in this field.