The cannabis industry has undergone a remarkable transformation in recent years, with legalization in the United States, Canada and other parts of the world opening the doors for cultivators to establish themselves in a blossoming market. However, successfully navigating the new landscape presents unique challenges.
Growers strategically manage every aspect of their operations, from selecting the optimal greenhouse locations, to carefully calibrating environmental controls to ensure ideal plant growth. However, amidst this meticulous planning, the topic of odor control is often overlooked.
The pungent aroma produced by cannabis plants, particularly during the flowering stage, can easily permeate facility walls and travel beyond the boundaries. This can raise concerns among neighbors and potentially lead to regulatory issues, jeopardizing a facility's license to operate. Some growers deploy odor masking and other solutions, attempting to reign in the issue, but these approaches provide either temporary and/or costly fixes at best.
Fortunately for growers, there is a safer and more effective alternative: molecular neutralization. By partnering with the right suppliers, growers can access a range of standardized or tailored solutions to address facility needs. Leading suppliers understand the complexities of cannabis cultivation and the unique odor challenges it presents, and they leverage cutting-edge science to develop solutions for effectively neutralizing undesirable odors at the molecular level.
Traditional odor control methods come up short
While cannabis cultivators have traditionally employed a variety of odor control methods to keep escaping aromas at bay — including masking agents, ozone and carbon filters — most methods either pose a human health risk or simply are not effective (Figure 1).
Masking agents merely cover one smell with another, circumventing the root cause of the problem — pungent volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by the cannabis plant. VOCs are organic chemicals that readily evaporate at room temperature and become airborne. These VOCs can have a wide range of chemical structures, and their specific molecular makeup determines the perceived odor. For example, the aroma of coffee comprises hundreds of different VOCs, while the unpleasant smell of rotten eggs is caused almost solely by hydrogen sulfide.
Additionally, masking agents can create an even more noticeable and unpleasant odor profile when they combine with existing cannabis aromas.
Growers sometimes apply ozone, a powerful oxidizer and antimicrobial agent, within grow rooms to mitigate escaping odors. However, its use around humans necessitates facility evacuation during and after treatment, significantly disrupting cultivation operations. Additionally, ozone's highly caustic nature can damage equipment, especially when interacting with other chemicals.
Carbon filters are another common choice for greenhouse odor control, operated by forcing contaminated air through activated carbon, a highly porous material with a large surface area that traps odor-causing chemicals. While effective for sulfur-rich compounds, carbon filters struggle with nitrogen-based odors common in cannabis facilities. Moreover, the need for frequent filter replacements — often annually or even more often — creates high ongoing maintenance costs. These filters also hinder airflow through greenhouse fans, requiring more fans and increased energy consumption to maintain operations.
A need to overcome these deficiencies has prompted advancements in odor control technology based on the development of safe and effective plant-based solutions specifically designed to address the unique odor challenges growers face.
Science and nature collide
Plant-based odor neutralizers utilize cutting-edge science and natural ingredients to counteract a host of odorous substances at the molecular level. The distinct aromas of cannabis come from a complex blend of VOCs called terpenes. Common terpenes in the cannabis industry include:
- myrcene, known for its earthy, musky aroma.
- limonene, which produces a citrusy scent.
- pinene, with a pine-like aroma.
- and caryophyllene, contributing spicy or peppery notes.
Using advanced technology, such as gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), odor control specialists can precisely identify the terpenes responsible for odor issues within a facility (Figure 2).
Once the problematic terpenes are identified, scientists can formulate a blend of plant-based oils to directly neutralize the malodors. The oils work by attracting and binding to the offending terpenes, changing their chemical composition to render them odorless. Common plant oils used in these formulations include citrus oils, pine oils, and essential oils with odor-neutralizing properties.
Standardization benefits
Leading plant-based odor control solution suppliers leverage advanced technology and their expertise to develop standardized formulations. These formulations are meticulously crafted to address a wide range of odor concerns within specific industries, for example, covering a variety of terpenes and other offensive cannabis odors. These standardized blends are rigorously tested at numerous facilities, ensuring their effectiveness, and they provide:
- Reduced lead time: Standardized formulations are readily available "off-the-shelf," minimizing wait times after order placement.
- Faster implementation: Turnkey solutions minimize startup and commissioning time, empowering implementations to get off the ground more quickly.
- Proven efficacy: The successful use of standardized formulations across diverse applications instills confidence within the industry.
- Adaptability to process variations: These blends provide the flexibility to accommodate variance in a facility's product and processes without needing to change the formulations used.
- Reliable supplier support: Readily available standardized solutions help ensure continued support from expert suppliers.
Custom formulations for unique needs
While standardized solutions address the needs of most facilities, certain situations may require a customized approach. In these cases, expert suppliers employ meticulous procedures to tailor solutions to the specific odor profile present.
It starts with taking air samples within the facility during various stages of production, using advanced Markes thermal desorption tubes to collect and store samples. These devices ensure longer sample life — weeks, as opposed to hours — compared to traditional methods, along with accuracy even at low concentrations.
These samples are then analyzed in the lab via GC-MS to identify the precise molecular makeup of odorous compounds. The GC-MS produces a chromatogram, which is a visual representation of the detected substances and their relative concentration (Figure 3).
Based on the analysis, scientists formulate a custom blend of plant oils specifically designed to neutralize the identified odor-causing molecules. For instance, if a facility is cultivating a strain high in limonene and beta-caryophyllene, the custom blend might include additional citrus oils to counter the limonene, and complementary spice oils to neutralize the beta-caryophyllene. This level of customization ensures a highly effective odor control solution that directly addresses the facility's unique needs.
By offering both standardized and custom solutions, plant-based odor control providers cater to a wide range of needs within the cannabis industry and beyond.
Success with a standard formulation
One cannabis cultivator on the U.S. East Coast faced complaints from nearby homes and businesses, even after they attempted, unsuccessfully, to combat the release of pungent odors with masking agents. As neighborhood complaints continued to mount, the grower decided to try Ecosorb’s CNB100 standard formulation, designed to neutralize a wide range of airborne odors released by various cannabis strains (Figure 4). This product eliminated nearly all trace of odors in the vicinity.
The perimeter system releases dry odor removal vapor to scrub the air for a safe, effective, environmentally-friendly means of odor control, with minimal required maintenance (Figure 5). The system can be operated remotely, empowering facility managers to optimize odor control efforts.
In addition to adjusting flow rate and turning the system on or off, the grower can adjust formulation concentration and dispersion in real-time based on external factors, such as wind direction or harvest schedules, maximizing efficiency and minimizing odor emissions.
Neutralize pungent odors and maintain neighborly relationships
In every industry, negative relationships with the community can erode long-term success, and this is especially true in the emerging cannabis industry. For this reason, growers must not overlook odor control when planning and executing production. Partnering with the right expert consultants can vastly simplify this procedure.
Molecular odor neutralizers provide a path to efficient, eco-friendly, and cost-effective odor abatement. By leveraging the power of plant-based ingredients and advanced odor-neutralizing science, these solutions effectively combat unwanted odors, promote community harmony, and help facilities operate in a compliant and discreet manner.
