Landfill gas upgrading with countercurrent water wash.

A pilot-scale countercurrent absorption process for upgrading landfill gas to produce vehicle fuel was studied using absorption and desorption units and water as absorbent. The height-to-diameter ratio of the absorption column used was 3:1 instead of the more conventionally used 20:1 ratio, and a higher pressure was used along with a lower water flow rate. The effects of pressure (10-30 bar) and water and gas flow-ratios on the upgrading process were studied. Methane content in the product gas increased to near or above 90% with both gas flows (50 and 100 l/min) used at over 20 bar pressure with 10 l/min water flow and at 30 bar pressure with 5l/min water flow. Carbon dioxide content with t…

Methods for the Identification of Tainting Terpenoids and other Compounds from Algae

Off-flavour compounds produced by algae in freshwater ecosystems were studied for their structure using integrated sensory and spectroscopic methods: mass spectrometry (MS), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR). Both solvent extraction and thermal desorption were used to isolate and to introduce the compounds into gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and gas chromatography/Fourier transform infrared (GC/FTIR) systems. Ten ng of a terpenoid compound gave a readable IR spectrum. For 1H NMR studies the compounds were collected directly into NMR solvent by preparative gas chromatography. About 5 µg of a monoterpenoid compound was needed for a reliable 1…

Recent Development in Analytical Methods for Identification of Off-Flavour Compounds

The best resolution of individual off-flavour compounds is achieved by glass or quartz capillary gas chromatography. A special two-column system was used by which simultaneous instrumental detection and sniffing (odour desorption) of odorous compounds could be done. The measuring detectors were flame ionization (FID), electron capture (ECD), flame photometric (FPD) and a mass spectrometer (MS). Structural assignments of the odorous substances were done from MS data and verified by model compounds. Before the GC run the sample was collected at the head of the double column using a cold trap device. The sample for analysis was injected in liquid form or, more efficiently, thermally desorbed f…

Occupational hygiene in biowaste composting

Source-separated biowastes from the Helsinki Metropolitan Area have been composted in open air windrows at Ammas suo, the Helsinki regional landfill in Espoo (Finland). The most significant problem encountered in the early stages of the process has been the formation of rancid odor causing human discomfort. The offensive odor was mainly due to car boxylic acids. A total of 110 organic compounds were detected in volatile emissions from windrow composts with an integrated sensory and instrumental method. Occasionally the temperatures in the windrows exceeded 80°C. Bacterial measurements also revealed substantial populations of bacte ria at 75°C. The concentrations of airborne microbes and en…

Identification of off-flavor compounds in high-density polyethylene (HDPE) with different amounts of abscents

The use of synthetic pipes for drinking water distribution has increased. High desnity polyethylene (HPDE) is preferred because of its favorable mechanical properties, ease of handling during manufacturing, and low permeability to external contaminants. Off-flavor drinking water is a problem with plastic pipes. The compounds causing off-flavors are mainly carbonyl compounds. A combined zeolite called Abscents is used to eliminate odors and to remove odor-causing compounds. In this study, four different amounts of Abscents were added to raw HDPE pellets, and the influence on the off-flavor properties were analyzed. When the maximum amount of Abscents was added, almost all the carbonyl compou…

Occupational hygiene in a Finnish drum composting plant

Bioaerosols (microbes, dust and endotoxins) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were determined in the working air of a drum composting plant treating source-separated catering waste. Different composting activities at the Oulu drum composting plant take place in their own units separated by modular design and constructions. Important implication of this is that the control room is a relatively clean working environment and the risk of exposure to harmful factors is low. However, the number of viable airborne microbes was high both in the biowaste receiving hall and in the drum composting hall. The concentration (geometric average) of total microbes was 21.8 million pcs/m3 in the biowaste…

Analysis of a GC/MS Thermal Desorption System with Simultaneous Sniffing for Determination of Off-Odor Compounds and VOCs in Fumes Formed during Extrusion Coating of Low-Density Polyethylene

A thermal desorption equipment introducing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the gas chromatographic/ mass spectrometric system (GC/MS) with simultaneous sniffing (SNIFF) is a suitable method for identifying the volatile organic off-odor compounds formed during the extrusion coating process of low-density polyethylene. Fumes emitted during the extrusion coating process of three different plastic materials were collected at two different temperatures (285 and 315 degrees C) from an outgoing pipe and near an extruder. The VOCs of fumes were analyzed by drawing a known volume of air through the adsorbent tube filled with a solid adsorbent (Tenax GR). The air samples were analyzed by using…

Analytical Methods of Off-Flavours in the Aquatic Environment

Chlorinated short chain aliphatic hydrocarbons in pine needles by purge and trap gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

The concentrations of volatile chlorinated short chain aliphatic hydrocarbons in pine needles have been measured using purge and trap GC/MS. The concentrations of dichloromethane, chloroform, dichloroethene and tetrachloroethene in the needles were calculated. The concentrations of dichloromethane and tetrachloroethene were highest. As a rule the concentrations were higher in the older needles. The needle samples were collected from five sampling points in an area situated in the Southern Finland in the vicinity of a metal scrab plant. Reference needles were collected in the Central Finland. Needles originated from years 1991, 1992 and 1993.

Occupational hygiene in terms of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and bioaerosols at two solid waste management plants in Finland

Abstract Factors affecting occupational hygiene were measured at the solid waste transferring plant at Hyvinkaa and at the optic separation plant in Hameenlinna. Measurements consisted of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and bioaerosols including microbes, dust and endotoxins. The most abundant compounds in both of the plants were aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, esters of carboxylic acids, ketones and terpenes. In terms of odour generation, the most important emissions were acetic acid, 2,3-butanedione, ethyl acetate, alpha-pinene and limonene due to their low threshold odour concentrations. At the optic waste separation plant, limonene occurred at the highest concentration of all sin…

Potential Off-Flavour Compounds from Chloro-Bleaching of Pulp and Chlorodisinfection of Water

Chlorobleaching of pulp is the most important source of organochlorine pollutants in the Finnish aquatic ecosystems. Similar types of pollutants are formed during chlorodisinfection of water. The model compound approach employed in our laboratory has revealed the structures and amounts of pollutants formed and has made the interpretation and assay of individual organochlorine compounds in the environment possible. Tainting of fish near chlorination plants is frequently observed. Especially chlorinated phenols and anisoles (microbial metabolites of the former) are chlorination products which are known to have a strong odour and taste at very low concentrations. Other chlorinated products, wh…

Analysis of odour and taste problems in high-density polyethene

Abstract The compounds that cause off-flavours in plastics, have been recognized mainly as carbonyl compounds (aldehydes, ketones and esters). They occur in low concentrations, and due to their low-threshold odour concentrations, their typical odours were identified. Most of these off-flavour compounds are volatile. Chemical analysis of smelling compounds requires a very sensitive method with a high-resolution capability. The analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in high density polyethene (HD-PE) granules and waters in which the granules have been shaken for 4 h, were carried out by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry–sniffing system (GC–MS–SNIFF) and by gas chromatography–fourier…

Structure and Sensory Analyses of Tainting Substances in Finnish Freshwater Environments

GC/MS/SNIFF/TASTE methods have been used in Finland to identify the causes of three tainting problems in water and one in fish nets. Structure determination was often verified by comparison with authentic compounds. Algal growth was implicated to be the source of geosmin and MIB in river water in Northern Finland and was associated with the appearance of tainting problems in raw water and reservoir water in Åland county. Terpenoids (e.g. camphor), degradation products of natural lipids (e.g. aldehydes, ketones and unsaturated aliphatic compounds) and volatile organohalogen compounds were frequently found in contaminated water but showed minor tainting effects compared to geosmin and MIB. Di…