Release characteristics and risk assessment of volatile sulfur compounds in municipal wastewater treatment plants.

In recent years, the malodorous gases generated by sewage treatment plants have gradually received widespread attention due to their sensory stimulation and health hazards. The emission concentration, sensory evaluation and health risk assessment of volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) were all explored in two municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) with oxidation ditch and anaerobic/oxic treatment process, respectively. The VSCs concentration showed the highest amount in the primary treatment unit in both the two WWTPs (73.3% in Plant A and 93.0% in Plant B), while the H2S took the main role in the composition of VSCs. However, H2S took a larger percentage in Plant A (84.5% âˆ¼ 87.0%) rather than Plant B (61.2% âˆ¼ 83.5%), which may be due to the different operating conditions and sludge properties in different treatment process. Besides, H2S also gained the first rank in the sensory evaluation and health risk assessment, which may cause considerable sensory irritation and health risk to workers and surrounding residents. Furthermore, the influencing factor analyses of VSCs emission showed that the temperature of water and air, ORP of sludge made the greatest effect on VSCs release. This study provides theoretical and data support for the research of VSCs emission control in WWTPs.

[Emission Characteristics and Characteristic Substance Identification of Volatile Odorous Organic Compounds in Industries Using Organic Solvents].

To study the emission characteristics of volatile organic malodorous compounds and identify the characteristic substances of associated industries, the components of VOCs of typical industries were detected and analyzed in an industrial area of south China. The results showed that there are certain differences in the material composition among different companies, and there are also certain differences in the composition of different processes in the same company. For the automobile manufacturing industry, alcohols and esters were the main substances in the spraying workshop, accounting for 21.87% and 21.62%, respectively, and aromatic hydrocarbons were the typical substances in the drying workshop, accounting for 41.14%. Concerning the electronic components industry, esters were the main substances, accounting for 67.99% in the spraying and coating workshop. Regarding the coating production industry, esters were the main substances in the two paint companies, but the emission ratio of aromatic hydrocarbons was the second highest in one company and the emission ratio of ketone was the second highest in the other company. For the printing industry, alcohols were the characteristic substances, accounting for 99.32%. Concerning the refrigeration industry, alkanes were the most abundant compounds, accounting for 83.01%. Esters (ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, and isobutyl acetate), aromatic hydrocarbons (toluene, ethylbenzene, and styrene), and alcohol ketones (ethanol, methyl isobutyone, and 2-butanone) were preliminarily identified as characteristic malodorous compounds of the industries using organic solvents.

Odor composition analysis and odor indicator selection during sewage sludge composting.

UNLABELLED: On the basis of total temperature increase, normal dehydration, and maturity, the odor compositions of surface and internal piles in a well-run sewage sludge compost plant were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with a liquid nitrogen cooling system and a portable odor detector. Approximately 80 types of substances were detected, including 2 volatile inorganic compounds, 4 sulfur organic compounds, 16 benzenes, 27 alkanes, 15 alkenes, and 19 halogenated compounds. Most pollutants were mainly produced in the mesophilic and pre-thermophilic periods. The sulfur volatile organic compounds contributed significantly to odor and should be controlled primarily. Treatment strategies should be based on the properties of sulfur organic compounds. Hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan, dimethyl disulfide, dimethyl sulfide, ammonia, and carbon disulfide were selected as core indicators. Ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, carbon disulfide, dimethyl disulfide, methyl mercaptan, dimethylbenzene, phenylpropane, and isopentane were designated as concentration indicators. Benzene, m-xylene, p-xylene, dimethylbenzene, dichloromethane, toluene, chlorobenzene, trichloromethane, carbon tetrachloride, and ethylbenzene were selected as health indicators. According to the principle of odor pollution indicator selection, dimethyl disulfide was selected as an odor pollution indicator of sewage sludge composting. Monitoring dimethyl disulfide provides a highly scientific method for modeling and evaluating odor pollution from sewage sludge composting facilities. IMPLICATIONS: Composting is one of the most important methods for sewage sludge treatment and improving the low organic matter content of many agricultural soils. However, odors are inevitably produced during the composting process. Understanding the production and emission patterns of odors is important for odor control and treatment. Core indicators, concentration indicators, and health indicators provide an index system to odor evaluation. An odor pollution indicator provides theoretical support for further modelling and evaluating odor pollution from sewage sludge composting facilities.

[Pollution characterization of volatile organic compounds in ambient air of Tianjin downtown].

To study the pollution characteristics of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in Tianjin downtown ambient air, 26 sampling points were distributed in Tianjin and systematic sampling was carried out in Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, respectively. More than 80 kinds of VOCs were detected which mainly included alkanes, BETX and halohydrocarbon with detection rates of over 80%. The total concentration of VOCs changed with the seasons, in the order of Spring (110.43 x 10(-9)) > Autumn (93.73 x 10(-9)) > Winter (73.37 x 10(-9)) > Summer (60.43 x 10(-9)). The result of concentration statistics indicates that the total concentration of VOCs in urban areas was in the range of 30 x 10(-9)-90 x 10(-9) and the number of samples in every season in this concentration range accounted for over 50%. There were also differences in the composition of VOCs with the change of seasons in Tianjin. Oxygenated organic compounds and hydrocarbons were the main substances of VOCs and the concentration percentage of them was over 50% in every season. Two main pollutants, BETX and halohydrocarbon, were analyzed for seasonal variation in this paper.

[Analysis of odor pollutants in kitchen waste composting].

Odor pollution has become a major environmental problem in municipal solid waste composting. The odor samples at different composting phases of kitchen waste were collected and analyzed by olfactometry and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The correlation between the odor concentration and the emission of odor compounds was also analyzed. The results showed that there were 43 kinds of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the composting process of kitchen waste, including 5 kinds of sulfur odor compounds, 22 kinds of hydrocarbon compounds, 11 kinds of aromatic compounds and 5 kinds of other odor compounds. The correlation analysis indicated that the odor concentration was very significantly correlated with the emission of hydrogen sulfide, methanethiol, 1,3-xylene and o-xylene (P < 0.01), and significantly correlated with the emission of dimethyl disulfide and p-xylene (P < 0.05). Therefore, those 6 kinds of odor compounds should be intensively monitored and controlled during the composting process of kitchen waste.