Abstract
Characterising and determining the odorous charge of indoor air through Odour Units (OU) is an advantageous approach to evaluate indoor air quality and discomfort inside municipal solid waste facilities. The assessment of the OU can be done through the determination of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) concentrations and their odour thresholds. The aim of the study was to evaluate the differences in the odorous charge in the organic matter pit of a mechanical-biological waste treatment plant with a processing capacity of 287,500 tons year-1. The sampling was carried out during the months of September 2012 (original situation) and October 2012 (after emptying the organic matter pit drain pipe). 150 chemical compounds were determined qualitatively in the studied location, from which 102 were quantified due to their odorous characteristics as well as their potentiality of having negative health effects. The results obtained demonstrated that after a maintenance cleaning operation such as draining the organic matter pit pipe, the odorous charge inside the facility can be diminished in a great way, up to a 95%.
Highlights
Perceptible malodours in the indoor air of waste treatment plants have a considerable impact on occupational comfort, hygiene, health and safety [1,2]
The aim of this short report is to exemplify the effects of maintenance cleaning operations, such as draining the organic matter pit pipe, in the odorous charge of indoor air in a waste treatment facility
The evaluation of the odorous charge in two scenarios was done in the organic matter pit building of a mechanicalbiological waste treatment (MBT) plant located in the metropolitan area of Barcelona, which has a processing capacity of 287,500 tons year1 of municipal residues: selected organic fraction (100,000 tons year-1), waste fraction (160,000 tons year-1) and light packaging (27,500 tons year-1)
Summary
Perceptible malodours in the indoor air of waste treatment plants have a considerable impact on occupational comfort, hygiene, health and safety [1,2]. The working thesis assumes the superposition of the individual odorous concentrations calculated through VOC concentrations and their concrete odour thresholds [3,4] It has to be taken into account that possible effects derived from masking or synergies between the evaluated compounds are not considered, and that the total odour units (OU) determined by olfactometry could differ in a certain way [5,6,7,8]. The use of the presented procedure is advisable to be used when comparing differences in the odorous charge when changes in the processes developed into the facility are implemented [3] The aim of this short report is to exemplify the effects of maintenance cleaning operations, such as draining the organic matter pit pipe, in the odorous charge of indoor air in a waste treatment facility
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