CHARACTERIZATION OF WASTEWATER AND SOLIDS ODORS USING SOLID PHASE MICROEXTRACTION AT A LARGE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT

A simple and reliable technique has been developed to detect odorous gases, i.e. propionic and butyric acids, carbon disulfide, dimethyl sulfide, dimethyl disulfide, and trimethylamine, emitted from various materials generated by the wastewater treatment process. In this study solid phase microextraction was employed to characterize and quantify odorous compounds in the headspace over samples collected from various unit processes at the District of Colombia Wastewater Treatment Plant, Washington DC, USA. The patterns of odorous chemical released from wastewater influent, thickened sludge, dewatered sludge and biosolids were evaluated.