On the Issue of Monitoring Odor-Generating Volatile Pollutants during Sewage Treatment Plant Operation

Abstract

Summary. Introduction: The problem of strong offensive odor produced by operation of sewage treatment plants is known to be quite pressing and common. It is now related to the fact that urban development made these plants, once built on the outskirts, appear within city boundaries, near summerhouses and cottage villages. Malodor is perceived by local population as a sign of poor ambient air quality that evokes negative emotions and unfavorable reflex responses and makes most people feel unwell. Materials and methods: We analyzed sewage sludge from wastewater treatment plants for the whole range of chemicals that can migrate into ambient air and identified priority odor-generating pollutants. Sewage sludge testing was carried out in simulated conditions using advanced high-precision analytical techniques such as mass-spectrometry, spectrophotometry, fluorimetry, gas chromatography, and high performance liquid chromatography. Conclusions: Based on study results, we developed a list of chemicals subject to laboratory monitoring and substantiated the expediency of their detection in the presence of public complaints of offensive odors coming from sewage treatment plants.