Species of Volatile Organic Compounds from Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant

Abstract

In order to investigate the characteristic of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), the air and water samples were collected. The air samples were extracted and identified by GC/MS. The atmospheric VOCs species from all WWTP units were tested. It was shown that the main fugitive sources were primary clarifier and the room of sludge dewatering. The numbers were 33 and 30. The total species of VOCs emitted varied with a range of 16 to 33. The relationship between VOCs species and the change of water quality were discussed. The increasing of VOCs species was related with the higher SUVA, and the molecular weight of VOCs species in air sample gradually become lower along the wastewater treatment process. In the wastewater treatment process，the function of microbe did not contribute the whole effort on the removing of organic pollutants. VOCs volatilized from water phase could also reduce organic pollutants in water phase. In the whole WWTP, the main VOCs species were alkyl with small molecular weight, aromatic hydrocarbon material and naphthalene. Halogenated hydrocarbon was detected in primary treatment unit and anoxic tank.