title: Odorants and malodors associated with land application of biosolids stabilized with lime and coal fly ash.
abstract: Malodor emissions limit public acceptance of using municipal biosolids as natural organic resources in agricultural production. We aimed to identify major odorants and to evaluate odor concentrations associated with land application of anaerobically digested sewage sludges (Class B) and their alkaline (lime and coal fly ash)-stabilized products (Class A). These two types of biosolids were applied at 12.6 tonnes ha(-1) (dry weight) to microplots of very fine clayey Vertisol in the Jezreel Valley, northern Israel. The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from the biosolids before and during alkaline stabilization and after incorporation into the soil were analyzed by headspace solid-phase microextraction followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Odor concentrations at the plots were evaluated on site with a Nasal Ranger field olfactometer that sniffed over a defined land surface area through a static chamber. The odors emitted by anaerobically digested sewage sludges from three activated sludge water treatment plants had one characteristic chemical fingerprint. Alkaline stabilization emitted substantial odors associated with high concentrations of ammonia and release of nitrogen-containing VOCs and did not effectively reduce the potential odor annoyance. Odorous VOCs could be generated within the soil after biosolids incorporation, presumably because of anaerobic conditions within soil-biosolids aggregates. We propose that dimethyl disulfide and dimethyl trisulfide, which seem to be most related to the odor concentrations of biosolids-treated soil, be used as potential chemical markers for the odor annoyance associated with incorporation of anaerobically digested sewage sludges.
authors.affiliation: Agricultural Research Organization, Newe Ya'ar Research Center, Ramat Yishay, Israel. laor@agri.gov.il
authors.forename: Yael
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Laor
authors.forename: Moshe
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Naor
authors.forename: Uzi
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ravid
authors.forename: Pinchas
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fine
authors.forename: Ilan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Halachmi
authors.forename: Yona
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Rima
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Baybikov
mesh_terms: D017610:Calcium Compounds; D002244:Carbon; D003031:Coal; D060729:Coal Ash; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D009812:Odorants; D010087:Oxides; D052638:Particulate Matter; D012722:Sewage; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D017610:Calcium Compounds; D003031:Coal; D060729:Coal Ash; D010087:Oxides; D052638:Particulate Matter; D012722:Sewage; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds; D002244:Carbon; C016538:lime