Sustainable Ways to Mitigate Emissions and Odor for Cultivators and Processors
Emily Long
Sr. Project Manager
Byers Scientific
As a sustainable business, it is imperative to be a steward of the environment, which includes being mindful of environmental and social impact concerns of air quality and odor emissions. Businesses that bring their vetted experience to the cannabis industry can help reduce negative impacts to communities and the environment from cannabis emissions.
A molecular-level understanding of cannabis emissions allows for the development and deployment of comprehensive state-of-the-art odor mitigation solutions that effectively achieve compliance while reducing water and energy consumption and paving the way for a more sustainable future.
An odor mitigation system that supports community advocacy and is kind to the environment.
Water-less vapor-phase systems utilize reduced water usage compared to other existing technologies, such as misting systems, making them more environmentally sustainable. Many cultivation operations use chemical sprays in their fan-attached misting systems that can be a threat to both plants and people. Properly engineered and sustainable vapor-phase systems instead can use an odor neutralizer relying on organic plant-based oils to tackle odor molecules in the airstream in a manner that is both more effective and safer for both surrounding communities and the environment. Simply put - there is no other such second-level barrier technology available that will safely and effectively mitigate odor from large-scale cannabis greenhouse operations.
A commercial-sized molecular filtration system (aka carbon scrubber), such as the MT-6™ from Byers Scientific, is recommended to be used in tandem with a vapor-phase system for greenhouse applications. If the control technology is equipped with Cloud-based SCADA (IoT) technology, the equipment can be fully automated to allow for the automatic powering down of the vapor-phase system and activation of the molecular filtration interior system when vents are closed. The use of this Smart technology as part of a multi-phase approach to odor mitigation reduces the amount of both neutralizer and energy required leading to an even more energy and water-conserving facility operation.
A few scientists work to advance understanding and help cannabis operators to improve air quality.
Dr. William Vizuete has been studying the cannabis industry’s potential contribution to environmental and social areas of concern. His initial study conducted in Denver, Colorado, in 2017 proved to be a valuable reference for the NCIA Environmental Sustainability Whitepaper published in 2020. Dr. Vizuete sought to answer the common questions surrounding cannabis plant emissions, including BVOCs and other odor-causing compounds, at commercial cultivation sites and their impact on air quality and/or community odor issues.
Dr. Vizuete’s study was the first time such an analysis had been conducted anywhere in the United States. The study resulted in the first VOC emission inventory to be compiled for the cannabis industry in Denver, Colorado, a VOC-limited and EPA designated Non-Attainment area. The research used an ensemble of regional scale regulatory modeling to predict impacts of cannabis terpenes (BVOCs) on ozone concentrations. Terpenes are highly reactive compounds with variable atmospheric lifetimes altering the atmospheric oxidizing capacity, resulting in a range of low volatility products that can partition into the aerosol-phase and depending on concentration of NOx, lead to the formation of ozone.
A takeaway from Dr. Vizuete’s study is the need for continued research and more molecular-level measurements of cannabis emission profiles analyzed with hyper-localized meteorological (MET) data to understand the impacts of cannabis emissions on region-specific air quality and odor issues.
Assessing emissions profiles from cultivation and processing sites results in more environmentally and socially sustainable operations. The best method for capturing all emissions being emitted off the cannabis plants (over 200 compounds) is the Leaf Enclosure Method, which has been dialed-in for cannabis by Dr. Alex Guenther. Using the Leaf Enclosure data, scientists can calculate facility-specific gas-phase emission rates giving us the ability to design and install proven engineered equipment to sequester emissions at the rate they are being emitted, reducing the amount of BVOC emissions from a facility that can reach the outdoor air. This mathematically derived approach to odor control positions cannabis operators as socially sustainable and responsible community members.
Install control systems that are automated for more environmentally sustainable operations.
Sustainability is empowered for cannabis operations by equipping control technologies with Cloud-based SCADA (IoT) and automation capabilities to improve their efficiencies, collect critical data, and drive revenue. For example, on-board Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)-based SCADA systems allows for real-time system management and operation of our odor mitigation equipment. Operators can directly manage and optimize their running time for systems, reducing unnecessary energy, water and carbon usage significantly. A Cloud-based emissions and odor control system proves compliance with permit-contingent odor abatement plans (established to protect communities and encourage social sustainability) for cultivators and manufacturers by removing odor subjectivity and coinciding liability issues.
As the commercial cannabis market continues to scale, it is imperative that stakeholders, regulators and operators understand the molecular footprint of commercial cannabis cultivation and processing by working with experts, such as the team at Byers Emissions Analysis (BEA), that are identifying, measuring, modeling, and assessing plant emissions. Environmentally and socially sustainable control technology informed by this emissions data help effectively manage the risk posed by industrial cannabis processes ensuring zero disruptions to your business. With an increased understanding of what impacts emissions from commercial cannabis may have on communities and the environment, the entire industry will continue to grow, make sound regulatory and operational decisions, and reduce any negative contributions to air quality. It is important to carefully source your partnering businesses and first consider if they put environmental and social sustainability at the forefront of their research and technology initiatives for the cannabis industry.
