Analysis of sulfur and nitrogen odorants using solid-phase microextraction and GC-MS.
An analytical method involving solid-phase micro-extraction (SPME) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was applied to analyze biosolids odors. A selective ion monitoring (SIM)-based MS method was developed, using SPME injections of odorant standards under the full-scan mode to select the quantification and confirmation ions for each odorant. The odorants analyzed in this study include: dimethylsulfide, dimethyldisulfide, methyl mercaptan, hydrogen sulfide, carbon disulfide, trimethylamine and dimethylamine. We have used this method to quantify parts-per-billion levels of odorant vapors produced during anaerobic incubation of digested wastewater sludge. Important considerations for expedient and accurate calibration under static and dynamic flow conditions are discussed. The SPME-GC-MS method may give a positive intercept in the calibration curve, especially under static sampling conditions, which sets a practical detection limit for odor analysis.
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA.
M
M
Turkmen
S K
SK
Dentel
P C
PC
Chiu
S
S
Hepner
D002623:Chemistry Techniques, Analytical / Q000379:methods; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D017672:Nitrogen Compounds / Q000032:analysis*; D009812:Odorants / Q000032:analysis*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013457:Sulfur Compounds / Q000032:analysis*; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid
D017672:Nitrogen Compounds; D013457:Sulfur Compounds