Odor-Health Discrepancies in Urban Industrial Areas: Why TVOC Reduction Alone Fails to Mitigate Olfactory and Health Risks

Persistent odor nuisances in industrial areas and elevated exposure risks for neighboring communities can compromise the effectiveness of volatile organic compound (VOC) mitigation strategies. This two-year study (December 2020-November 2022) employed high-resolution monitoring to investigate odorant dynamics in China's national industrial parks, integrating online VOC measurements with odor activity value (OAV) and health risk assessments. Results revealed that up to 73.2% of total VOC concentrations (average 84.95 ppb) exhibited odor properties, with 45.9% (average 53.24 ppb) posing dual risks of olfactory irritation and health hazards. Total odorants displayed distinct afternoon concentration peaks and maintained high odor severity (OAV ∼ 3.34) across seasons. Approximately 59% of odorants were identified as carcinogenic, yet neither their concentrations nor perceived nuisance intensity reliably predicted workplace or community health risks. To bridge these gaps, we introduced a mass-OAV-risk coupling metric to prioritize control of odorous and pathogenic VOCs, including ethylene oxide, acetaldehyde, and methyl mercaptan. Discrepancies between interprovincial VOC transport patterns and localized OAV impacts further highlight the limitations of mass-based control strategies, necessitating odorant-specific regulations. This study advances industrial air quality management by demonstrating the critical need for compound-specific interventions that simultaneously mitigate olfactory nuisances and carcinogenic risks for surrounding communities, thereby refining VOC mitigation frameworks.