Odour Monitoring by Combined TD–GC–MS–Sniff Technique and Dynamic Olfactometry at the Wastewater Treatment Plant of Low H2S Concentration

• Published in: Water, air, and soil pollution Vol. 218; no. 1-4; pp. 185 - 196
• Main Authors: Lehtinen, Jenni, Veijanen, Anja
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.06.2011; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: 3-Carene; Air pollution; Applied sciences; Aroma compounds; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Chemical compounds; Climate Change/Climate Change Impacts; Dimethyl sulfide; Earth and Environmental Science; Effluents; Emissions; Environment; Environmental monitoring; Exact sciences and technology; Gas chromatography; Hexanal; Hydrocarbons; Hydrogen; Hydrogen sulfide; Hydrogeology; Limonene; Mass spectrometry; Mass spectroscopy; Odor thresholds; Odors; Olfactometers; Olfactory thresholds; Organic chemicals; Organic compounds; Perceptions; Pollution; Soil Science & Conservation; Statistical analysis; Toluene; VOCs; Volatile organic compounds; Wastewater treatment; Wastewater treatment plants; Water Quality/Water Pollution; Water treatment; Water treatment plants; VOCs; Air pollution; Olfactometry; Odour concentration; Wastewater treatment; Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry; Ether; Toluene; Carene; Hydrogen sulfides; Volatile organic compound; Sewage treatment plant; Gas chromatography; Surveillance; Correlation analysis; Pinene; Aromatic compound; Waste water purification; Gas chromatography―mass spectrometry; Odor; Mass spectrometry; Organic compounds
• ISSN: 0049-6979; 1573-2932
• DOI: 10.1007/s11270-010-0634-3

The most odorous compounds in a wastewater treatment plant of low hydrogen sulphide concentration were identified by the instrumental gas chromatography–mass spectrometry–sniff method, and odour concentrations (OU/m 3 ) were determined by dynamic olfactometry. The focus in the study was to combine information of single odour components with the results from dynamic olfactometry in order to illustrate the correlation between them. Eight odour threshold exceeding compounds were detected. Those were dimethyl sulphide, dimethyl disulphide, toluene, heptanal, alpha-pinene, dimethyl trisulphide, octanal and limonene. Also 3-carene, allyl methyl sulphide, diethyl ether and hexanal caused odour perceptions in gas chromatography–mass spectrometry–sniffing analysis, although their odour thresholds were not exceeded. The single compound concentrations of dimethyl sulphide, dimethyl disulphide, diethyl ether, limonene and toluene did not show a direct correlation with the odour concentration. In addition, the total volatile organic compound concentration did not show any correlation in comparison with the overall odour either. A rather good correlation between the odour concentration and compound concentrations was achieved by calculating the sum of all odorous compounds that exceeded the odour threshold concentration and comparing it with the odour concentration results described as odour units (OU/m 3 ).