Received a prefectural order, a reply from an environmental authority, or just trying to understand what "5 ouE/m³" means? This glossary covers the technical and regulatory terms most searched by residents dealing with an odour nuisance.
A measure of odour concentration in the air. It represents the dilution factor required for a gas sample to no longer be perceived as odorous by 50% of a trained human panel. Measured according to standard EN 13725.
See this value applied on the map
The volume of air released by a facility (in m³/h), multiplied by the odour concentration. Regulatory permits can cap this value for industrial sites.
Learn more on the regulation page
The concentration at which a substance becomes perceptible to the human sense of smell. For many regulated industrial facilities, the reference value is 5 ouE/m³, not to be exceeded more than 2% of the time at the site boundary (roughly 175 hours per year).
Regulatory detail on the regulation page
The French regulatory regime covering factories, farms, waste treatment sites, or biogas (methanisation) plants likely to cause nuisances — including odour — to neighbouring residents. Three regimes apply depending on size and activity: declaration, registration, or authorisation.
Understand the full ICPE framework on the regulation page
A building subject to minimum distance rules from certain odour-emitting facilities (e.g. 100 metres for the spreading of odorous waste).
Regional environmental authority (state department) responsible for inspecting classified installations and enforcing prefectural orders, including on odour matters.
Contact details and steps who does what
Can be contacted when an odour nuisance is associated with a perceived or actual health impact (irritation, respiratory discomfort).
Contact details and steps who does what
A standardised analysis method (EN 13725, NF X43-103) in which a trained human panel evaluates an air sample to objectively quantify an odour.
A strategic document an operator may be required to produce, listing emission sources, mitigation measures, and complaint-handling procedures.
Use case biogas plants
A civil law basis allowing a resident to claim compensation for an odour nuisance, even when the facility complies with its administrative permit.
See possible remedies on the regulation page
A family of chemical substances often linked to industrial odour nuisance, regulated in part by EU Directive 2010/75/EU.
Come across one of these terms in a letter or an ongoing procedure?