Odour-causing organic compounds in wastewater treatment plants: Evaluation of headspace solid-phase microextraction as a concentration technique

• Published in: Journal of Chromatography A Vol. 1218; no. 30; pp. 4863 - 4868
• Main Authors: Godayol, Anna, Alonso, Mònica, Besalú, Emili, Sanchez, Juan M., Anticó, Enriqueta
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 29.07.2011
• Subjects: carvone; Chromatography; Concentration (composition); detection limit; emissions; Extraction; gas chromatography; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS); Gases - chemistry; headspace analysis; Headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME); Industrial Waste - analysis; Lists; mass spectrometry; Matrices; Odorants - analysis; odors; Odour-causing organic compounds; quality of life; Reproducibility of Results; salt content; Sensitivity and Specificity; solid phase microextraction; Solid Phase Microextraction - methods; Standard deviation; Temperature; Time Factors; Volatile Organic Compounds - analysis; Volatile Organic Compounds - isolation & purification; Waste Disposal, Fluid - methods; Waste water; Wastewater; Wastewater treatment; Headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME); Wastewater; Odour-causing organic compounds; Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS)
• ISSN: 0021-9673; 1873-3778
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2011.02.017

Odorous emissions from wastewater collection systems and treatment facilities affecting quality of life have given local populations reasons to complain for decades. In order to characterise the composition of such malodorous emissions, a method based on headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC–MS) has been developed to determine a list of compounds belonging to different chemical families, which have been previously described as potentially responsible for odour complaints, in wastewater matrices. Some parameters affecting the chromatographic behaviour of the target compounds were studied (e.g. splitless time). Experimental conditions affecting the extraction process (temperature, time and salt content) were evaluated by applying a factorial design at two levels. Using a DVB/CAR/PDMS fibre and the optimised HS-SPME conditions, calibration curves were constructed with detection limits in the range of 0.003–0.6 μg L −1. Recovery values higher than 70% and relative standard deviation values between 5 and 16% ( n = 5) were obtained for all compounds and found to be satisfactory. In wastewater samples, a decrease in the concentration of the analysed compounds through the different treatments was observed. Most of the target analytes were found in influent samples while only octanal and carvone were detected in samples from the plant effluent.