Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are considered as one of the main air pollutants, and legislation has already been introduced in many countries to reduce their emissions. In addition to the main emission sources, such as petroleum industries, there are also many local sources, such as painting, printing and laundering etc., which emit low concentrations of VOC. A modified adsorption system (MAS) has been suggested for the control low concentrations and high flow rate streams of VOC. The MAS was based on adsorption, followed by the treatment of concentrated VOC, such as incineration (catalytic or thermal) or recovery. In this paper, the results of the adsorption/desorption of toluene (target VOC) over several adsorbents (activated carbon, hydrophobic zeolites and mesoporous materials) were reviewed for the selection of a good VOC adsorbent for the MAS. From the results, zeolite HY, with a FAU structure, was selected as the most potential adsorbent for the MAS.
The purpose of this study is to estimate the performance of various biofilter media using ammonia. The results can be summarized as follows: 1) The removal of ammonia using various biofilter media was performed, and inorganic media was proved to be better than the organic media. 2) From the inorganic media, fibril form was most superior. 3) Because fibril form is expensive, PU was determined to be the optimum biofiler media for ammonia removal.
The odor emission characteristics in a food waste treatment plant, in terms of odor active compounds and odor unit concentration, were evaluated using an air dilution method and instrumental analysis method, respectively. A GC/MS analysis of the emission source was also carried out to investigate the effect of waste polymer incineration on the formation of organic materials. The result, as evaluated using the instrumental analysis method, showed that ammonia, acetaldehyde, dimethylsulfide and propionaldehyde were detected in high amounts from the outlet at "A" food waste treatment plant. The major odorous compounds, however, were acetaldehyde and metylmercaptan, which were derived using an odor quotient method. Limonene, benzene and toluene were also detected from the GC/MS analysis of the emission source. The criteria were 500 at the final outlet, 15 at the site boundary line, but the observed results were 10000 and 30, respectively.
In this study, the TVOCs and odor active compounds emitted from 3 PVC and 5 natural wallpapers were analyzed. The emitted odor intensities and characteristics of the wallpapers were estimated using air dilution sensory and direct olfactory methods. The emissions of TVOCs were measured using the SPME-cryogenic emission test method, which was modified from the RAL-GZ 479 method, which is used in Germany to evaluate the quality of wallpapers. It was found that there was no significant correlation between the emissions of TVOCs and the odor concentration. However, a correlation (0.57) was found between the emitted VOCs and the odor concentration of the low molecular weight compounds, which have strong volatilities, ranging from n-C6 to n-C10. For all 8 wallpapers, vinegar like odor was commonly perceived, with acetic acid identified as the main odor active compound withinthe odor. Benzaldehyde and esters, such as ethyl acrylate and n-butyl acrylate, were identified as odor active compounds, which were expressed as having rubber like smells by the panelists. These results indicate that odor should be included as a domestic regulation for the pollutants emitted from building materials. The identification of odor active compounds emitted from building materials could be useful in the production of eco-environment products.
The VOCs discharge characteristics of miscellaneous assembly metal manufacture & metal processing industries, in the SihwaㆍBanwol Industrial Complex, were analyzed according to detailed categories per industry, as based on the Korea Standard Industrial Classification, by comparing the conditions before and after the installation of process and prevention facilities. The average concentration of benzene was highest in the metal heat treatment industry (28921) whereas that of toluene was highest in the painting & membrane treatment industry (28923). In addition, with respect to prevention facilities, our evaluation proved that the decreased efficiency was worse for the discharge facilities of pollutants from the plating industry (28922) and painting & miscellaneous membrane treatment industry (28923), with some exceptions, while most facilities showed no decreased efficiency. Therefore, it is believed that an accurate survey of the conditions of administration/operation facilities will need to be conducted, and the decreased efficiency will also need to be evaluated so that adequate prevention facilities can be reviewed and selected.
This review presents the recent developments in electronic noses (E-noses). E-noses based on metal oxide semiconductors, conducting polymers, quartz crystal microbalance and electrochemical methods have been examined with regard to several aspects, from the basic principles to the application of new products, as olfactometry sensors. E-noses consist of an array of chemical sensors, and are currently employed in the analysis of odorous compounds as well as for common gas detection. Various data analyses have been employed to establish patterns of recognition and classification techniques. Future trends and areas of application for e-noses have also been introduced and are summarized within the text.
The sewer systems of cities are considered an odor source. Especially, the public do not want a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) near their properties due to the emission of odor emanating from such sources, although they play an important role in urban development. Therefore, a number of researchers have tried to characterize sewer and WWTP odors and reduce their emissions. However, the majority of the odor research performed in Korea has focused mainly on the measurement of the sensory odor intensity and the 12 odorants defined in the Korean Odor Prevention Law. Only a few studies have been performed on identifying the mechanisms of odor generation from sewer and WWTPs. Without the correct knowledge of the odor generation mechanism of sewer systems, it is impossible to develop an appropriate odor control scheme. Therefore in this paper, the literature relating to research on the odors emitted from sewers and WWTPs has been reviewed. The information provided in this paper will be useful to other researchers interested in the emission of odors from sewer systems.