Home

   Rice paddy fields are one of the major sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The project LIFE EBRO-ADMICLIM is evaluating the annual pattern of greenhouse emissions in rice paddy fields at the Ebro Delta.

   A monthly monitoring of the GHG emission rates in 15 rice fields covering the whole geophysical variability of the Ebro Delta under standard agronomic management was carried out, including both growth and post-harvest (fallow). In addition, hydrological and physico-chemical parameters of the soil and the vegetation cover were also studied.

M. Viñas¹, F.X. Prenafeta-Boldú¹, J. Noguerol¹, C. Alcaraz², X. Aranda³, J.A. Saldaña-De la Vega², M. Martínez-Eixarch², C. Ibáñez²

¹ IRTA Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology, GIRO. 08140 Caldes de Montbui. Spain
² IRTA Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology, Aquatic Ecosystems. 43540 Sant Carles de la Ràpita, Spain.
³ IRTA Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology, Environmental Horticulture. 08140 Caldes de Montbui, Spain.
E-mail: marc.vinas@irta.cat. Tf: +34 902 789 449 ext. 1337

   A few days ago we learnt about a byproduct rendering plant that has been operating for decades with significant odour complaints in the town of Russellville. The owners mentioned that they "invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in mechanical upgrades to the plant and on consultants whose speciality is odour control." This is a very fair amount of money to be spent on odour control. However, we wanted to make a small exercise: How much is the odour impact costing to Russellville citizens?

   The owners of the rendering plant say that they have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in odour control, but, how much is the odour impact costing to Russellville citizens? Are they right to claim that noxious odours lower property values?