Title: | Identification of volatile sulfur odorants emitted from ageing wastewater biosolids |
Author(s): | Barczak RJ; Fisher RM; Le-Minh N; Stuetz RM; |
Address: | "Faculty of Building Services, Hydro and Environmental Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, Nowowiejska 20 Street, 00-653, Warsaw, Poland; UNSW Water Research Centre, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia. Electronic address: r.barczak@unsw.edu.au. UNSW Water Research Centre, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia. Electronic address: ruth.fisher@unsw.edu.au. UNSW Water Research Centre, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia. Electronic address: minh@unsw.edu.au. UNSW Water Research Centre, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia. Electronic address: r.stuetz@unsw.edu.au" |
DOI: | 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.132210 |
ISSN/ISBN: | 1879-1298 (Electronic) 0045-6535 (Linking) |
Abstract: | "Volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) are important sources of unpleasant odours in biosolid emissions. However, the study of VSCs may be limited by complications in their gas phase measurements due to reactivity, transformations and varying reported odour detection thresholds. A range of methods were used to quantitatively analyse VSCs in wastewater biosolid emissions. VSCs were identified in aged biosolid emissions by gas chromatography (GC) with a sulfur chemiluminescence detector (SCD) and mass spectrometry coupled with olfactory detection port (MS/O). In total, 10 VSC's were identified with two volatile organic sulfur compounds (VOSCs), allyl methyl sulfide and methyl propyl sulfide being reported for the first time in biosolid emissions. The emission patterns of different VSCs varied as the biosolids aged. Initially, the median concentrations of H(2)S, dimethyl sulfide (DMS), dimethyl trisulfide (DMTS), methanethiol (MeSH) and ethanethiol (EtSH) were orders of magnitude greater than their reported odour detection threshold, suggesting they would contribute to the odorous impact of the biosolids. The maximum H(2)S value was equal to 59.9 x 10(3) mug/m(3) and was at least one magnitude higher compared to VOSCs, such as dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) (3.8x10(3) mug/m(3)), DMS (4.53 x 10(3) mug/m(3)), EtSH (2.83 x 10(3) mug/m(3)) and MeSH (3.25 x 10(3) mug/m(3)). Among the identified VSCs, H(2)S was the prominent odorant in terms of the magnitude and the frequency of detection, both initially as well as throughout storage. However, DMTS should be considered as a high priority or key odorant due to its odour activity value (OAV) and frequency of detection (sensorially detected in more than 75% of samples, with an OAVs higher than 1)" |
Keywords: | Biosolids Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry *Odorants/analysis Sulfur Sulfur Compounds/analysis *Volatile Organic Compounds/analysis Wastewater Allyl methyl sulfide Biosolids treatment Dimethyl trisulfide Methyl propyl sulfide Olfactory detection port; |
Notes: | "MedlineBarczak, Radoslaw J Fisher, Ruth M Le-Minh, Nhat Stuetz, Richard M eng England 2021/11/28 Chemosphere. 2022 Jan; 287(Pt 2):132210. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.132210. Epub 2021 Sep 8" |