In-situ emission characteristics of odorous gases from two food waste processing plants

Odorous gas emission is the main environmental concern of food waste treatment. Two typical food waste processing plants, one for animal feed production by hydrothermal hydrolysis + aerobic fermentation (Plant A), and the other for biogas production by anaerobic digestion (Plant B), were selected to conduct in situ monitoring of fugitive odorous gas emission for five consecutive days, and the emission characteristics of NH₃ and total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) were compared in this paper. The results showed that the two processes had different emission characteristics of odorous gases. Closed-operated hydrothermal hydrolysis had positive effects on overall fugitive odor control in plant A. Meanwhile, more fugitive odor gases may be released into the environment during the pretreatment with high-temperature and seemingly-open facilities in plant B. The emission strength of odor gases at night was generally lower than that in the day since more fresh food waste was received in the day and the higher temperature and lower air pressure in the day were favorable to gas emission. In general, the process of hydrothermal hydrolysis + aerobic fermentation was more advantageous in controlling odor than the process of anaerobic digestion.     

Odour control at biowaste composting facilities

There are several options to effectively reduce odorous emissions at composting facilities depending on the type of composting system used. Some of the more relevant measures for open and enclosed composting facilities are presented in this article. Results from different investigations on odour reduction efficiencies of biological waste gas treatment systems at various scales are presented. Biofilter/bioscrubber combinations were used and different biofilter materials were tested. The more relevant odorous substances in the waste gas were identified, and their reduction in the different systems was measured. The biofilter proved to be mainly responsible for efficient odour degradation. The investigations presented in this article revealed that screened compost was very effective, and proved to be a low cost biofilter material for odour degradation purposes. Screened compost showed higher degradation rates than a coke-compost mixture newly developed by the University of Leipzig. Furthermore, it seems that enclosed systems have advantages when compared to conventional open single bed biofilters.     

Characterization and control of odorous gases at a landfill site: a case study in Hangzhou, China

Municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills are one of the major sources of offensive odors potentially creating annoyance in adjacent communities. At the end of May 2007, an odor pollution incident occurred at the Tianziling landfill site, Hangzhou, China, where the residents lodged complaints about the intense odor from the landfill, which drew a significant attention from the government. In this study, ambient air monitoring was conducted at the Tianziling landfill site. The main odor composition of the gas samples collected on June 1st 2007 and the reduction of various odorous gases from the samples collected on June 1st 2009 due to the applied odor control techniques were determined using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In addition, variations of primary odorous gaseous (NH₃ and H₂S) concentrations at different locations in the landfill site from July 2007 to June 2009 were also investigated by using classical spectrophotometric methods. Results showed that a total of 68 volatile compounds were identified among which H₂S (56.58-579.84 μg/m³) and NH₃ (520-4460 μg/m³) were the notable odor components contributing to 4.47-10.92% and 83.91-93.94% of total concentrations, respectively. Similar spatial and temporal shifts of H₂S and NH₃ concentrations were observed and were significantly affected by environmental factors including temperature, air pressure and wind direction. Odor pollution was worse when high temperature, high humidity, low air pressure, and southeast, northeast or east wind appeared. Moreover, the environmental sampling points of the dumping area and the leachate treatment plant were found to be the main odor sources at the Tianziling landfill site. The odor control technologies used in this project had a good mitigating effect on the primary odorous compounds. This study provides long-term valuable information concerning the characteristics and control of odors at landfill sites in a long run.     

Characterization and determination of the odorous charge in the indoor air of a waste treatment facility through the evaluation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) using TD–GC/MS

Municipal solid waste treatment facilities are generally faced with odorous nuisance problems. Characterizing and determining the odorous charge of indoor air through odour units (OU) is an advantageous approach to evaluate indoor air quality and discomfort. The assessment of the OU can be done through the determination of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) concentrations and the knowledge of their odour thresholds. The evaluation of the presented methodology was done in a mechanical–biological waste treatment plant with a processing capacity of 245.000 tons year^?1 of municipal residues. The sampling was carried out in five indoor selected locations of the plant (Platform of Rotating Biostabilizers, Shipping warehouse, Composting tunnels, Digest centrifugals, and Humid pre-treatment) during the month of July 2011. VOC and volatile sulphur compounds (VSCs) were sampled using multi-sorbent bed (Carbotrap, Carbopack X, Carboxen 569) and Tenax TA tubes, respectively, with SKC AirCheck 2000 pumps. The analysis was performed by automatic thermal desorption (ATD) coupled with a capillary gas chromatography (GC)/mass spectrometry detector (MSD). One hundred and thirty chemical compounds were determined qualitatively in all the studied points (mainly alkanes, aromatic hydrocarbons, alcohols, aldehydes, esters, and terpenes), from which 86 were quantified due to their odorous characteristics as well as their potentiality of having negative health effects. The application of the present methodology in a municipal solid waste treatment facility has proven to be useful in order to determine which type of VOC contribute substantially to the indoor air odorous charge, and thus it can be a helpful method to prevent the generation of these compounds during the treatment process, as well as to find a solution in order to suppress them.     

Development of a simple and sensitive method for the characterization of odorous waste gas emissions by means of solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and GC-MS/olfactometry

A solid-phase microextraction (SPME) method has been developed for the extraction of odorous compounds from waste gas. The enriched compounds were characterized by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and gas chromatography followed by simultaneous flame ionization detection and olfactometry (GC-FID/O). Five different SPME fiber coatings were tested, and the carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane (CAR/PDMS) fiber showed the highest ability to extract odorous compounds from the waste gas. Furthermore, parameters such as exposure time, desorption temperature, and desorption time have been optimized. The SPME method was successfully used to characterize an odorous waste gas from a fat refinery prior to and after waste gas treatment in order to describe the treatment efficiency of the used laboratory scale plant which consisted of a bioscrubber/biofilter combination and an activated carbon adsorber. The developed method is a valuable approach to provide detailed information of waste gas composition and complements existing methods for the determination of odors. However, caution should be exercised if CAR/PDMS fibers are used for the quantification of odorous compounds in multi-component matrices like waste gas emissions since the relative affinity of each analyte was shown to differ according to the total amount of analytes present in the sample.     

Odour management and treatment technologies: an overview

There is a large variety of options available for the effective treatment of odorous emissions. The most important physical, chemical and biological treatment processes are shortly described and their favourable applications, as well as their limits, are highlighted. But for a sustainable solution of an industrial odour problem, there is more involved than just the installation of a waste gas treatment system. This article focuses on a general and systematic approach towards extensive odour management. First of all, an odour assessment should be worked out where all actual and potential odour emission sources are recorded and characterised. A special focus should be set on fugitive emissions, which may have an enormous impact on the overall odour problem. They need to be captured before they can be supplied to a treatment system. According to the composition and condition of the waste gases, an appropriate treatment system must be selected. For this purpose, test systems have been developed and are presented in this article.     

New methods for fast on-site measurement of odorous compounds

New methods for measurement of odorous gases, especially for aerosol-bound chemical compounds, have been developed in the Department of Measurement Technology (Technical University of Hamburg Harburg--MT-TUHH). Odorous compounds in the waste gases produced by the food industry were analysed based on high-volume aerosol sampling techniques, enrichment on solid phase micro extraction (SPE) cartridges and analytical measurement techniques using thermal desorption gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The analysis results were compared to classic analytical procedures using adsorbence materials (Tenax) for enrichment. In comparison to aerosol sampling, analysis of Tenax samples was found to be ineffective, especially for analyzing polar semi volatile compounds. In addition, sensor arrays were also used in the study to characterize odors of different waste gases emitted by food production facilities. Measuring the odor units of the waste gas of a fat producing factory, the results of sensor-array-measurements show good correlation with results obtained with olfactometric measurements.     

Detection of polar organic substances relevant for drinking water

Testfilter systems help in the study of the persistence of organic compounds. Hence, they are remedial measures to control pollution of the environment. The filters used as biological fixed-bed reactors should enable the simulation of the biological degradation of organic compounds before they reach the waterworks. The German chemical industry has used filters based on activated carbon for more than 20 years in order to determine the microbial poorly degradable fraction of the dissolved organic carbon in the sewage effluents. The testfilter systems proved to work well on the basis of group and ‘sum’ parameters. The new challenge was to investigate whether the testfilter concept holds also for a diversification of drinking water relevant and non-relevant single compounds. Therefore, the first task was to develop analytical methods for classes of drinking water relevant compounds in the very complex matrix of waste water. Thereafter, these methods were applied for the detection of the selected compounds in the testfilter systems and their occurrence in the receiving waters. Methods of analysis were developed for the following classes of chemical compounds: aliphatic amines, aromatic sulfonates, halogenated carboxylic acids and organic phosphates. Furthermore the formation of yet unknown drinking water relevant compounds was studied. As a result it was concluded that the major reasons for the formation of these compounds are: (1) formation of by-products during various steps in the chemical synthesis; (2) chemical reactions in the influents of the treatment plants; and (3) metabolism in the waste water treatment plant. Experiments with compounds like 6-[methyl(phenylsulfonyl)amino]hexanoic acid (HPS) and nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) which are known from the literature to be well degradable, confirmed that the testfilters can be utilized for simulating the performance of the underground passage. On the other hand, persistent compounds, for which 1,5-naphthalenedisulfonate is a characteristic representative, remained in the filter system without being degraded. As far as the testfilters are concerned it was concluded that the activated carbon retains its adsorption capacity to a certain extent even after a long time of operation. Because it is not possible to distinguish between microbial degradation and adsorption, it was necessary to develop a modified filter set-up for testing single substances. ©     

SITE Demonstration of Enhanced In-Situ Bioremediation of Chlorinated and Nonchlorinated Organic Compounds in Fractured Bedrock

A field demonstration of an enhanced in-situ bioremediation technology was conducted between March 1998 and August 1999 at the ITT Industries Night Vision (ITTNV) Division plant in Roanoke, Virginia. The bioremediation process was evaluated for its effectiveness in treating both chlorinated and nonchlorinated volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in groundwater located in fractured bedrock. Chlorinated compounds, such as trichloroethene (TCE), in fractured bedrock pose a challenging remediation problem. Not only are chlorinated compounds resistant to normal biological degradation, but the fractured bedrock presents difficulties to traditional techniques used for recovery of contaminants and for delivery of amendments or reagents for in-situ remediation. The demonstration was conducted under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE) program. The SITE program was established to promote the development, demonstration, and use of innovative treatment technologies for the cleanup of Superfund and other hazardous waste sites. This article presents selected results of the demonstration and focuses on understanding the data in light of the fractured bedrock formation. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Odor compounds from different sources of landfill: characterization and source identification

This study investigated the odor compounds from different areas in a landfill site, which included the municipal solid waste (MSW)-related area, the leachate-related area and the sludge-related area. Nine sampling points were placed and 35 types of odorous substances were measured and quantified from these grabbed samples. The results showed that the main odorous substances emitted from landfill site were styrene, toluene, xylene, acetone, methanol, n-butanone, n-butylaldehyde, acetic acid, dimethyl sulfide, dimethyl disulfide and ammonia. In the MSW-related area, the highest concentrations of oxygenated compounds were observed at the gas extraction wells (GW), while sulfur compounds were rare. Ammonia in the sludge-related area was very abundant. Sludge discharge area (SD1) and sludge disposal work place (SD2) were representative points of pre- and post-drying, in which the characterizations of the emitted odorous gas were different. After chemical drying, the concentration of ammonia increased, whereas those of volatile fatty acids and sulfur compounds decreased. In the leachate-related area, relatively low concentrations of all those odorants were detected in leachate storage pool (LS), which may be due to the enclosure operation of the leachate storage pool. Using principal components analysis and cluster analysis, GW, SD1 and SD2 were distinguished from the other sampling points. The typical odorants in GW were acetaldehyde, ethyl benzene, xylene, methylamine and dimethyl formamide. The typical odorants in SD1 were methyl mercaptan, valeric acid and isovaleric acid, while those in SD2 were carbon disulfide, acetone, 3-pentanone, methanol and trimethylamine. The typical odorants in other sampling points were hydrogen sulfide, n-butylaldehyde and acetic acid.     

The applicability of Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy in waste management

State and stability or reactivity of waste materials are important properties that must be determined to obtain information about the future behavior and the emission potential of the materials. Different chemical and biological parameters are used to describe the stage of organic matter in waste materials. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy provides information about the chemistry of waste materials in a general way. Several indicator bands that are referred to functional groups represent components or metabolic products. Their presence and intensity or their absence shed light on the phase of degradation or stabilization. The rapid assessment of the stage of organic matter decomposition is a very important field of application. Therefore, infrared spectroscopy is an appropriate tool for process and quality control, for the assessment of abandoned landfills and for checking of the successful landfill remediation. A wide range of applications are presented in this study for different waste materials. Progressing stages of a typical yard/kitchen waste composting process are shown. The fate of anaerobically "stabilized" leftovers in a subsequent liquid aerobic process is revealed by spectroscopic characteristics. A compost that underwent the biological stabilization process is distinguished from a "substrate" that comprises immature biogenic waste mixed with mineral compounds. Infrared spectra of freeze-dried leachate from untreated and aerated landfill material prove the effect of the aerobic treatment during 10 weeks in laboratory-scale experiments.     

Chemical and microbiological stability of waste sludge from paper industry intended for brick production.

Due to its chemical composition, waste sludge generated in the paper industry may be used as a raw material for brick production. Brick manufacture is limited to the warmer months of the year whereas sludge is produced continuously by different effluent treatment devices. Therefore, it has to be stored until further processing. For this reason, it is essential that it is not subject to significant chemical and microbiological decomposition during storage. In the experiment, sludge from a tissue paper mill was tested for its stability. It was stored for several weeks during winter and summer periods in a pile, 2 m in height, in an open but covered store. Different leachable organic and inorganic compounds indicating possible ongoing deterioration processes, as well as pH value, redox potential, temperature, humidity and dry matter content were evaluated weekly in water extracts of homogenized sludge samples. According to the test results, the material may be considered to be chemically and microbiologically stable as there was practically no emission of odorous and toxic compounds such as H2S, NH3 and butyric acid despite prolonged storage times and elevated environmental temperatures. All the microbial species identified in the sludge during storage belong to the typical microflora of the environment.     

Increase of the purification efficiency of biofilters by the use of a complementary ionisation step

The biofilter and the ionisation system are two oxidative treatment techniques for purification of waste gas streams with low concentrations of volatile organic compounds. In this paper, the authors present the investigations of an ionisation technique aimed at increasing the efficiency of the reduction of the odorant concentration in waste gas streams from biological waste treatment plants. The objective is to enable advanced odour emission reduction and to adjust the existing biofilters to stricter requirements. In a first step, the odorous substances which are major contributors to the overall odorant concentration are identified on basis of various emission data sets with the help of a method of life cycle impact assessment. Thereby limonene, alpha-pinene, ethyl butyrate and dimethyl disulphide were identified as crucial indicators. In a second step, experimental investigations using limonene as a model compound were conducted to gain an understanding of the ionisation process itself and at last for the evaluation of the system.     

Effective pine bark composting with the dome aeration technology

In South Africa garden refuse is primarily disposed of in domestic landfills. Due to the large quantities generated, any form of treatment would be beneficial for volume reduction, waste stabilization and resource recovery. Dome Aeration Technology (DAT) is an advanced process for aerobic biological degradation of garden refuse and general waste [Paar, S., Brummack, J., Gemende, B., 1999a. Advantages of dome aeration in mechanical-biological waste treatment. In: Proceedings of the 7th International Waste Management and Landfill Symposium, Cagliari, 4-8 October 1999; Paar, S., Brummack, J., Gemende, B., 1999b. Mechanical-biological waste stabilization by the dome aeration method. Environment Protection Engineering 25 (3/99). Mollekopf, N., Brummack, J., Paar, S., Vorster, K., 2002. Use of the Dome Aeration Technology for biochemical stabilization of waste prior to landfilling. In: Proceedings of the Wastecon 2002, Waste Congress and Exhibition, Durban, South Africa.]. It is a non-reactor open windrow composting process, with the main advantage being that the input material needs no periodic turning. A rotting time of only 3-4 months indicates the high efficiency. Additionally, the low capital/operational costs, low energy inputs and limited plant requirements provide potential for use in aerobic refuse stabilization. The innovation in the DAT process is the passive aeration achieved by thermally driven advection through open windrows caused by temperature differences between the degrading material and the outside environment. This paper investigates the application of Dome Aeration Technology to pine bark composting as part of an integrated waste management strategy. A full-scale field experiment was performed at the Bisasar Road Landfill Site in Durban to assess the influence of climate, waste composition and operational conditions on the process. A test windrow was constructed and measurements of temperature and airflow through the material were taken. The process monitoring revealed that prevailing climatic conditions in a subtropical location do not affect the high efficiency of this technology. However, the composition of the input material can be detrimental for production of high quality compost because of a lack of nitrate.     

Investigations of biological processes in Austrian MBT plants

Mechanical biological treatment (MBT) of municipal solid waste (MSW) has become an important technology in waste management during the last decade. The paper compiles investigations of mechanical biological processes in Austrian MBT plants. Samples from all plants representing different stages of degradation were included in this study. The range of the relevant parameters characterizing the materials and their behavior, e.g. total organic carbon, total nitrogen, respiration activity and gas generation sum, was determined. The evolution of total carbon and nitrogen containing compounds was compared and related to process operation. The respiration activity decreases in most of the plants by about 90% of the initial values whereas the ammonium release is still ongoing at the end of the biological treatment. If the biogenic waste fraction is not separated, it favors humification in MBT materials that is not observed to such extent in MSW. The amount of organic carbon is about 15% dry matter at the end of the biological treatment.     

Implementing separate waste collection and mechanical biological waste treatment in South Africa: A comparison with Austria and England

The degradation of organic compounds found in municipal solid waste (MSW) under the anaerobic landfill conditions produces gas and liquid emissions that can protract well into the landfill after-care period. The European Landfill Directives regulate the amount and nature of the organic compounds disposed into landfills. In South Africa and other developing countries, MSW is still landfilled without any kind of pre-treatment. This paper presents a pilot project of mechanical biological waste treatment (MBWT) in South Africa implemented at municipal level in the city of Durban using passively aerated open windrows. Based on case studies from Austria, England and South Africa, a waste minimisation model which can facilitate full-scale implementation of MBWT in developing countries is presented. MSW was treated in open windrows for 8 weeks. Composting temperature reached a maximum of 65 °C in less than 10 days. The results of eluate tests on waste samples from the windrows at the end of composting show a reduction of BOD₅ and BOD₅/COD ratios equal to 35.7% and 16.7%, respectively. The percent waste composition of the treated MSW was 28.3% putrescibles, 17.4% garden refuse, 13.3% plastic, 12.4% fabrics, 12% paper and other elements. The waste composition shows that more than 40% of un-treated organic material and also more than 40% non-biodegradable and recyclable materials are still landfilled without any form of biological treatment or resource recovery. A simple wet and dry waste collection model can promote recycling, treatment of biological waste before landfilling, resource recovery, labour intensive jobs and hence sustainable landfilling in the South African scenario as well as in similar developing countries.     

Analytical determination of the suitability of different processes for the treatment of odorous waste gas

In order to determine the efficiency of different treatment systems for the reduction of odorous emissions, a gas chromatographic method followed by simultaneous mass spectrometry and olfactometry (GC-MS/O) was developed. Samples from a coffee bean roasting and a fat and oil processing plant were analyzed, respectively. The results were compared with the data obtained by olfactometric measurements. At a coffee bean roasting plant, cooling gases were analyzed prior to and after treatment in a full scale bioscrubber. The GC-MS/O analysis showed that the amounts of aldehydes and ketones decreased after treatment of cooling gases of coffee bean roasting in the bioscrubber, whereas the contents of the heterocyclic compounds, like pyridine and the pyrazines, and acetophenone and guaiacol remained almost unchanged. The amounts of dimethyl disulfide, 3-hydroxy-2-butanone, and the carboxylic acids increased after bioscrubber treatment. Furthermore, the performance of each stage of a combined experimental plant for the treatment of exhaust air of fat and oil processing was investigated. This treatment plant consisted of a bioscrubber, a biofilter, and an activated carbon adsorber. The important odor-active compounds of the exhaust air of fat and oil processing were the typical fat oxidation products (aldehydes, ketones) and with lower importance 2-pentylfuran, a few terpenes and aromates. Again, the key odor-active compounds, aldehydes and ketones, were degraded in the bioscrubber. Further degradation of aliphatic, unsaturated, methylated, and cyclic alkanes, as well as aromates, terpenes, and furans by the biofilter was observed. After the last treatment stage, the activated carbon filter, only small amounts of aliphatic, unsaturated, methylated, and cyclic alkanes and aromates remained in the waste gas. For both applications, the results of the developed GC-MS/O method correlated very well with olfactometric measurements.     

Inventory and treatment of compost maturation emissions in a municipal solid waste treatment facility

Emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the compost maturation building in a municipal solid waste treatment facility were inventoried by solid phase microextraction and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. A large diversity of chemical classes and compounds were found. The highest concentrations were found for n-butanol, methyl ethyl ketone and limonene (ppm_v level). Also, a range of compounds exceeded their odor threshold evidencing that treatment was needed. Performance of a chemical scrubber followed by two parallel biofilters packed with an advanced packing material and treating an average airflow of 99,300 m³ h^?1 was assessed in the treatment of the VOCs inventoried. Performance of the odor abatement system was evaluated in terms of removal efficiency by comparing inlet and outlet abundances. Outlet concentrations of selected VOCs permitted to identify critical odorants emitted to the atmosphere. In particular, limonene was found as the most critical VOC in the present study. Only six compounds from the odorant group were removed with efficiencies higher than 90%. Low removal efficiencies were found for most of the compounds present in the emission showing a significant relation with their chemical properties (functionality and solubility) and operational parameters (temperature, pH and inlet concentration). Interestingly, benzaldehyde and benzyl alcohol were found to be produced in the treatment system.     

Methodology to Assess Silicone (Bio)Degradation and its Effects on Microbial Diversity

The behavior of silicone elastomers in landfills has not been well studied. Their impact on the environment is not known and, consequently, it has not been possible to establish robust Life Cycle Assessments of these materials. In the first part of this study, a methodology for assessing silicone degradation pathways is described. The chemical and biological parameters were considered separately. Firstly, parameters such as pH, redox potential and cation concentration were monitored and then degradation in aerobic and anaerobic conditions was investigated. Any impacts on microbial diversity were also taken into account, using bio-molecular tools. In the second part, a case study on the degradation of Room Temperature Vulcanizable silicone elastomers was performed to validate this methodology. The results indicate that condensation catalysts play a key role at their end-of-life, in both chemical and biological degradation. Moreover, these compounds have a significant effect on microbial communities (similarities with blank samples <5?%). As a consequence, the choice of catalyst should be carefully considered to assess any environmental impacts.