This document discusses a laboratory exercise where students rated the intensity and offensiveness of various mystery liquids on a scale of 0-6. The liquids tested included tap water, cologne, raw swine wastewater, facultative lagoon wastewater, covered anaerobic lagoon wastewater, and aerobic lagoon wastewater. Graphs show the results of these smell tests from 2003-2010, with raw swine wastewater generally rated as most intense and offensive while cologne and tap water were mild. The goal is to have students discuss smells in a scientific manner.

1. Making Sense of Smells
Discussing Odors with Diverse Audiences
Another Laboratory Exercise
Douglas W. Hamilton
Waste Management Specialist
Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

2. Rate Mystery Liquids
Intensity
Offensiveness

3. Mystery Liquids Tested
Tap Water
Cologne
Raw Swine Wastewater
Facultative Lagoon Wastewater
Covered Anaerobic Lagoon Wastewater
Aerobic Lagoon Wastewater

5. Sniff Test
#1 #2 #3 #4
How Strong?
How Bad?
Intensity
Scale = 0 to 6
Offensiveness
Scale = 0 to 6

6. Intensity Scale
0 = no odor
1 = very faint
2 = faint
3 = distinct
4 = strong
5 = very strong
6 = extremely strong

7. Offensiveness Scale
0 = Inoffensive
1 = Very faintly Offensive
2 = Faintly Offensive
3 = Definitely Offensive
4 = Strongly Offensive
5 = Very Strongly Offensive
6 = Extremely Offensive

8. Cologne
Results from Spring 2010 Class

9. Cologne
Results from 2003-2010
0.00
0.25
0.50
0.75
1.00
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
0.00
0.25
0.50
0.75
1.00
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Intensity Offensiveness

10. Manure
Results from 2003-2010
Intensity Offensiveness
0.00
0.25
0.50
0.75
1.00
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
0.00
0.25
0.50
0.75
1.00
0 1 2 3 4 5 6

11. Cologne
Results from Spring 2010 Class

12. Cologne
Results from 2003-2010

13. Mystery Liquids Tested
Raw Swine Wastewater
Facultative Lagoon Wastewater
Covered Anaerobic Lagoon Wastewater
Aerobic Lagoon Wastewater

15. p
Lift
Station 2
Open Aerobic
Lagoon
Buildings
p
Lift
Station 1
Splitter Box1
Splitter Box 2
Equalization
Tank
ASBR
p
Covered Anaerobic
Lagoon
Subsurface Irrigation System
Collection Sewer

16. p
Lift
Station 2
Open Aerobic
Lagoon
Buildings
p
Lift
Station 1
Splitter Box1
Splitter Box 2
Equalization
Tank
ASBR
p
Covered Anaerobic
Lagoon
Subsurface Irrigation System
Collection Sewer
Raw Manure

17. Raw Manure
Results from 2006-2010

18. Raw Manure
Results from 2006-2010

19. Results from 2003-2010
Raw Manure

20. p
Lift
Station 2
Open Aerobic
Lagoon
Buildings
p
Lift
Station 1
Splitter Box1
Splitter Box 2
Equalization
Tank
ASBR
p
Covered Anaerobic
Lagoon
Subsurface Irrigation System
Collection Sewer
Covered Lagoon

22. Results from 2006-2010
Raw Manure
Covered Lagoon

23. p
Lift
Station 2
Open Aerobic
Lagoon
Buildings
p
Lift
Station 1
Splitter Box1
Splitter Box 2
Equalization
Tank
ASBR
p
Covered Anaerobic
Lagoon
Subsurface Irrigation System
Collection Sewer
Aerobic Lagoon

25. Results from 2003-2010
Raw Manure
Covered Lagoon
Aerobic Lagoon

27. Results from 2003-2010
Raw Manure
Covered Lagoon
Aerobic Lagoon