title: Odour-causing organic compounds in wastewater treatment plants: evaluation of headspace solid-phase microextraction as a concentration technique.
abstract: Odorous emissions from wastewater collection systems and treatment facilities affecting quality of life have given local populations reasons to complain for decades. In order to characterise the composition of such malodorous emissions, a method based on headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) has been developed to determine a list of compounds belonging to different chemical families, which have been previously described as potentially responsible for odour complaints, in wastewater matrices. Some parameters affecting the chromatographic behaviour of the target compounds were studied (e.g. splitless time). Experimental conditions affecting the extraction process (temperature, time and salt content) were evaluated by applying a factorial design at two levels. Using a DVB/CAR/PDMS fibre and the optimised HS-SPME conditions, calibration curves were constructed with detection limits in the range of 0.003-0.6 μg L(-1). Recovery values higher than 70% and relative standard deviation values between 5 and 16% (n=5) were obtained for all compounds and found to be satisfactory. In wastewater samples, a decrease in the concentration of the analysed compounds through the different treatments was observed. Most of the target analytes were found in influent samples while only octanal and carvone were detected in samples from the plant effluent.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Girona, Girona, Spain.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Godayol
authors.forename: Mònica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alonso
authors.forename: Emili
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Besalú
authors.forename: Juan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Sanchez
authors.forename: Enriqueta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Anticó
mesh_terms: D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D005740:Gases / Q000737:chemistry; D007220:Industrial Waste / Q000032:analysis*; D009812:Odorants / Q000032:analysis*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D052617:Solid Phase Microextraction / Q000379:methods*; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds / Q000032:analysis* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D005740:Gases; D007220:Industrial Waste; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds