Companies or municipalities often contract engineering firms to explore, vet, and recommend odor control solutions. Many firms gravitate to systems and products because of their performance, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness compared to other systems.
Industries Served
Explore markets where products have proven effective.
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Asphalt Industry The production of hot mix paving asphalt generates odors that can be strong, persistent, and a nuisance to employees and neighbors. Controlling and abating these odors can be a challenge. Effective in controlling nuisance odor emissions in refining, terminals, hot mix plants, and transport operations.
- Refinery/Blender: Comprehensive solution for refineries and blenders, effectively managing and neutralizing odors through advanced additive treatments and vapor stack treatments. Innovative formulas integrate with existing systems for efficient odor elimination without compromising operational integrity.
- Terminal/Transportation & Handling: Odor issues and complaints eliminated through additive treatment directly into transport trucks and vapor stack applications.
- HMA/WMA Plant: Sustainable odor control solutions by blending additives into binder, plus spec oil treatment and vapor stack treatment.
Proven effective in lab tests through independent and in-house evaluations, significantly reducing odors and volatile components without compromising material performance or quality. Comprehensive capabilities include field testing with air samples analyzed using gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS) for precise molecular identification, leading to tailored standard or custom blends.
How to Use: Add the correct dilution quantity of additive to asphalt binders, fuel oil, and used oil fuels during transfer, storage, and handling processes. Unwanted odors removed, even from burner exhaust.
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Pharmaceutical & Chemical Odor Removal From Research to Production: Chemical research, development, and production facilities give off strong odors inside and outside. Many manufacturing plants use adhesives, solvents, and other noxious chemicals. Smells from these compounds unpleasant for employees and communities. Proven industrial chemical odor removal solutions to mitigate odor produced during manufacturing — safely and naturally.
Odor Sources:
- Pharmaceutical production
- Polymers
- Cleaners
- Packaging
- Household products
- Resins
- Adhesives
- Paints and varnish coatings
- Wastewater and exhaust
- Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology: Effectively remove industrial odors from fluid handling to wastewater to fume hood exhaust. Custom solutions for every phase of chemical handling.
- Plastic & Polymer Packaging: Additives mixed into polymer manufacturing process to remove odors without affecting end product.
- Wastewater: Industrial chemical odor removal products atomized or vaporized and sprayed to combat odors.
- Exhaust: Vaporized or atomized products combat odors in atmosphere. Add spray systems to vents, stacks, or scrubbers.
- Chemical Spills: Remove lingering odors long after cleanup.
How to Use: Mostly implemented at exhaust stacks to remove odors from escaping air before reaching environment. Vaporization equipment positioned in exhaust systems, customized for maximum effectiveness.
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Composting Composting material rich in organic matter creates powerful malodors drifting into nearby areas. Organics recycling facilities manage decomposition process producing foul odors from proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.
- Sludge Receiving and Storage: Anaerobic odors include reduced sulfur compounds (hydrogen sulfide, dimethyl sulfide, dimethyl disulfide, methanethiol), volatile fatty acids, aromatic compounds, amines, ammonia.
How to Use: Products — evaporated or atomized with nozzles or fans — control odors in large facilities. Spray gel blocks odors from escaping when added on top of material — ideal for open-bed waste trucks, working face of compost piles, other solid/semi-solid materials. Control malodors in localized area or surround large area. Delivery systems integrated with machinery like graders and tillers.
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Construction Odors Industrial construction sites and finishing materials contain chemicals producing powerful smells harmful to workers and nuisance to neighbors.
Odor Sources:
- Adhesives
- Asphalt and paving
- Board panels (fiberglass)
- Interior finishes
- Paints
- Sealants and coatings
- Solvents
- Other industrial construction site materials
Range of odor removing additives reduce smelly emissions within materials without affecting them.
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Drilling Mud (Oil and Gas) Fluid (drilling mud) used in drilling produces strong offensive odors like gasoline, paint thinner, or ether. In urban projects, causes complaints, regulation attention, fines.
Odor Sources: Muds based from diesel, kerosene, fuel oil, crude oil, mineral oil.
Additives eliminate odor-causing emissions when mixed into drilling mud.
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Food Industry Bad odors vary in type and strength from production, processing, wastewater treatment. Offensive to public and employees. Some facilities have wastewater treatment with lagoons of smelly fats/greases, sludge causing odors. Even pleasant odors become offensive over time.
Approved for use in food processing plants per guidelines. Versatile systems offer inexpensive, effective, cost-efficient elimination.
- Meat and Seafood Processing: Solutions through wastewater treatment, solid waste treatment, air scrubbing, direct injection to stacks. Pinpoint control via hollow-bladed fans.
- Fish Meal Processing: Control smells with feed system using flue, plenum, multiple nozzles.
- “Pleasant” Smells: Vary dilution rate and volume to process stack.
How to Use: Located in exhaust stacks/vents, near dryers, around wastewater, culture processing. Vaporization systems effective; custom systems/blends for special applications.
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Fats, Oils, Grease (F.O.G.) Liquid food waste emits unpleasant odors worsening through processing stages. Long-chain fatty acids block traditional products.
505G and 606G eliminate (not mask) organic/inorganic malodors from long-chain fatty acids.
- Transport Trucks: Remove odors before offending residents/businesses.
- Grease Processing Facilities: Eliminate on contact.
- Rendering Plants: Break down acids and neutralize during rendering.
How to Use: Delivered from atomization systems with water, paired with OdorFan or pipes/nozzles.
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Foundry (Metalcasting) Break down and eliminate odorous gases. Formulated to chemically convert foul/harmful gases into non-odorous byproducts.
Neutralize: amines, sulfur dioxide, phenols, formaldehyde, ammonia, hydrocarbons, solvent odors.
- Sulfurous Odors: Reacts with sulfur dioxide to produce organic salt. Drastically reduced in lab testing (e.g., 26 ppm/v to <0.01 ppm/v).
- Lost Foam Process: Atomized 206 into exhaust eliminates styrene gas odors.
- Foundry Emissions, Dust, Odor Control: Remove odors in core rooms/shakeout; suppress dust. Small amounts needed.
- Non-Ferrous/Brass Foundries: Solve in core rooms, pour-off, exhaust stacks.
How to Use: Airborne treatment forms organic salts with amines. Additives in binders, shell resin, cold box resins remove process odors from pouring, cooling, shakeout.
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Municipal & Government (Waste Management) Significant challenges from wastewater and solid waste. Smells from collecting, transporting, storing, processing creep into areas.
Broad spectrum effectiveness tailors complete system from product to equipment.
- Solid Waste: Mitigate from landfills, sludge/solid waste treatment, composting.
- Wastewater: Solve unique problem areas.
How to Use: Spray Gel caps material at landfills/composting. Atomization/vaporization at transfer stations/storage. In wastewater: vaporization systems carry submicron form to source; no plug-prone nozzles.
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Fuel Oil (Refineries/Petrochemical) Strong odors from sulfides, mercaptans, hydrocarbons (oily rags, rotten eggs/cabbage).
Applications: storage tanks, settling ponds, sludge ponds, oil/water separation, wastewater, tank cleaning, process odors.
- Oil Storage: Capture/remove from escaping air via duct work, knockout tank, treatment tank with atomization/vaporization.
- Settling Pond: High-pressure dispersion over ponds.
- Sludge Ponds: Custom for stagnant pools.
How to Use: Portable dispersion for tank cleaning/maintenance. Inject into vents; substitute in scrubbing.
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Pulp and Paper Odors from hydrogen sulfide, mercaptans, sulfur dioxide (rotten cabbage/eggs) in kraft pulping (TRS gases), wastewater, sulfite mills, landfills.
Used by large manufacturers for black liquor lagoons, clarification ponds, landfills.
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Brownfield Remediation Contaminated soil saturated with tar/oil/chemicals produces unpleasant odors. Restore sites with natural remediation odor control, no masking.
How to Use: Delivered from atomization fans/spray systems. Equipment rentable/purchasable; pallet-mounted for mobility.
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Styrene Vapors Resins emit styrene (VOC/HAP) contributing to smog. 206 boosts solubility; reduces by 98% in 20 minutes per lab tests.
- FRP Fabrication: In spray booths, treat exhausting air via plenum/stack nozzles. Indoor treatment.
How to Use: Vaporized/atomized for exhaust; additives mixed in for end-product.
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Landfill Complex process generates odors offensive to workers/community. Agitation worsens.
Sources: wastewater sludge (sulfides), composting (nitrogenous), landfills (mercaptans).
- Transfer Stations: Nozzles/vapor ducting beneath ceiling over load-out/tipping; suppresses dust.
- Sludge Composting: Atomized concentrate controls in large facilities.
- Landfills: Oscillating fans when dumping disturbs waste.
How to Use: Atomized spray or Spray Gel caps trucks/landfills.
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Industrial Storage Tank Cleaning Venting before cleaning releases odors; causes nuisance, downtime.
Effective on naptha, diesel, crude oil, amines, phenols, formaldehyde, ammonia, sulfur dioxide.
- Crude Oil/Refinery Tanks: Reliable control in large tanks; allows cleaning without wind delays.
How to Use: Vaporization/atomization. Inject into direct-air line of venting fan (e.g., Coppus); or steam line for H₂S/ammonia reduction.
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Wastewater Treatment Odors like rotten eggs, garlic, ammonia, earthly from H₂S, sulfur dioxide, skatoles, indoles, amines.
Proactive mitigation at source.
- Headworks/Primary Treatment: Vapor/fan systems at bar screens/digesters for H₂S.
- Septage Dumping: At unloading or downstream.
- Activated Sludge Basins: Custom neutralization.
- Food Processing Plants: Approved outside facilities.
How to Use: Existing hardware (scrubbers) or designed vaporization systems (ducting carries submicron form; low maintenance). Operated as-needed or automatically (e.g., wind direction).
FIRSTGATE ODOUR CONTROL PHILOSOPHY AND GOAL
The philosophy behind plant-based odour control is to provide a safe, sustainable, and effective alternative to traditional chemical methods by using natural, biodegradable formulations to neutralize odours at the molecular level. The primary goal is to eliminate malodours completely without introducing new toxins or harsh chemicals into the environment.
Core Philosophy
- Environmental Responsibility: Renewable botanical sources, non-hazardous, non-toxic, biodegradable; avoids secondary pollution.
- Molecular Neutralization, Not Masking: Chemically react, absorb, or encapsulate to alter structure.
- Safety and Health: Safe for public, employees, animals, ecosystems; minimal PPE.
- Source Treatment: Stimulate aerobic degradation to prevent odorous gas formation.
Key Goals
- Regulatory Compliance
- Improved Community Relations and Brand Reputation
- Enhanced Workplace Quality and Safety
- Cost Efficiency and Operational Optimization
- Integration with Sustainability Goals (ESG)
CORE GOAL AND MISSION STATEMENT
- Effective Odour Elimination
- Environmental Responsibility
- Health and Safety
- Regulatory Compliance
- Cost Efficiency
- Community Well-being
Mission: Harness nature for cleaner, safer, sustainable world via innovative plant-based solutions eliminating odours at source, protecting health/environment, delivering value.
CORE PRINCIPLES
- Molecular Binding (Adsorption/Absorption)
- Chemical Neutralization
- Solubility Enhancement
- Biological Degradation Support
- Prevention at the Source
KEY ACTION STATEMENTS
- Source Elimination, Not Masking
- Biological Stimulation (competitive inhibition)
- Safety and Sustainability
- Versatile Application
Benefits: Improved air quality, compliance, cost efficiency; integrated sustainable solution.