Waste Management 32 (2012) 24692481

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Waste Management
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/wasman

Characterization and determination of the odorous charge in the indoor air of

a waste treatment facility through the evaluation of volatile organic compounds
(VOCs) using TDGC/MS
E. Gallego a,, F.J. Roca a,1, J.F. Perales a,1, G. Snchez b,2, P. Esplugas b,2
a
b

Laboratori del Centre de Medi Ambient, Universitat Politcnica de Catalunya (LCMA-UPC), Avda. Diagonal, 647, E 08028 Barcelona, Spain
Direccin de Prevencin y Gestin de Residuos del rea Metropolitana de Barcelona, DPGR-AMB, Carrer 62, 16-18, Zona Franca, E08040 Barcelona, Spain

a r t i c l e

i n f o

Article history:
Received 16 February 2012
Accepted 3 July 2012
Available online 9 August 2012
Keywords:
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
Thermal desorption
Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry
Odour units
Indoor air quality
Municipal solid waste (MSW)

a b s t r a c t
Municipal solid waste treatment facilities are generally faced with odorous nuisance problems. Characterizing and determining the odorous charge of indoor air through odour units (OU) is an advantageous
approach to evaluate indoor air quality and discomfort. The assessment of the OU can be done through
the determination of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) concentrations and the knowledge of their
odour thresholds. The evaluation of the presented methodology was done in a mechanicalbiological
waste treatment plant with a processing capacity of 245.000 tons year 1 of municipal residues. The sampling was carried out in ve indoor selected locations of the plant (Platform of Rotating Biostabilizers,
Shipping warehouse, Composting tunnels, Digest centrifugals, and Humid pre-treatment) during the
month of July 2011. VOC and volatile sulphur compounds (VSCs) were sampled using multi-sorbent
bed (Carbotrap, Carbopack X, Carboxen 569) and Tenax TA tubes, respectively, with SKC AirCheck 2000
pumps. The analysis was performed by automatic thermal desorption (ATD) coupled with a capillary
gas chromatography (GC)/mass spectrometry detector (MSD). One hundred and thirty chemical compounds were determined qualitatively in all the studied points (mainly alkanes, aromatic hydrocarbons,
alcohols, aldehydes, esters, and terpenes), from which 86 were quantied due to their odorous characteristics as well as their potentiality of having negative health effects. The application of the present methodology in a municipal solid waste treatment facility has proven to be useful in order to determine which
type of VOC contribute substantially to the indoor air odorous charge, and thus it can be a helpful method
to prevent the generation of these compounds during the treatment process, as well as to nd a solution
in order to suppress them.
2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction
Detectable odours have a considerable impact on environmental and occupational health and safety (Heida et al., 1995; Bruno
et al., 2007; Tsai et al., 2009). Several chemical substances, but
mainly volatile organic compounds (VOCs), are responsible for
the occurrence of varying degrees of olfactory nuisances. Most
VOC are odorous substances capable of eliciting an olfactory
response to people (Powers, 2004). Not all odorants make people
react the same way; it depends on the odour threshold, which is
dened as the lowest concentration of a particular compound
where the 50% of the judgments of a human panel are in
Corresponding author. Tel.: +34 934016683; fax: +34 934017150.
E-mail addresses: Lcma.info@upc.edu, eva.gallego@upc.edu (E. Gallego), Lcma.
info@upc.edu (F.J. Roca), Lcma.info@upc.edu (J.F. Perales), ambinfo@amb.cat (G.
Snchez), ambinfo@amb.cat (P. Esplugas).
1
Tel.: +34 934016683; fax: +34 934017150.
2
Tel.: +34 932235151; fax: +34 932234790.
0956-053X/$ - see front matter 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2012.07.010

agreement with the stimulus difference (Teixeira et al., 2011).

The sensorial methods often used to evaluate odours, namely olfactometry, do not allow the discrimination of the concrete kind of
substances responsible of the odour, as these methods do not identify the specic chemical compounds that cause the olfactory
perception (Bruno et al., 2007; Muoz et al., 2010). A thorough
chemical analysis of the air is the only methodology capable of
identifying the odorous compounds together with other substances that accompany the above mentioned chemicals. These
substances maybe not cause odour annoyance, but they can represent a health threat (Gallego et al., 2009a, 2011a, 2011b; Scaglia
et al., 2011). The odour units (OU), calculated by dividing the concentration of a specic compound by its odour threshold limit,
indicate how many times the threshold limit has been exceeded
(Gallego et al., 2009b, 2011b).
The OU has to be taken into account. However, the analytical
methodology employed has to be powerful enough to determine
VOC in very low concentrations, as some compounds with high
odour impact have very low odour thresholds (Bruno et al.,

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E. Gallego et al. / Waste Management 32 (2012) 24692481

2007). VOC sampling through active multi-sorbent tubes and a further analysis of the tubes with a TDGC/MS system allows for a
good chromatographic separation and a reliable identication of
the target compounds through their characteristic mass spectra.
Additionally, this method presents low limits of detection and
breakthrough, and high reproducibility (Ribes et al., 2007; Gallego
et al., 2010, 2011b).
In municipal solid waste (MSW) treatment plants, VOC can be
formed and released to the indoor environment either from biochemical reactions related to degradation processes of the present
organic matter or by degradation and volatilization of other materials treated in the facility. In enclosed MSW treatment plants, volatile emissions to the outdoor air and their associate odorous
nuisance are reduced. However, the levels of exposure to workers
generally increase, making the implementation of supplementary
health and safety programs necessary (Schlegelmilch et al.,
2005a), as poor indoor air quality may lead to a lower productivity
in the workplace, as well as to an increase of personnel health hazards (Harrison, 2007; Je et al., 2007; Domingo and Nadal, 2009; Nadal et al., 2009). Hence, determining the odorous contribution of
each VOC to the total odorous charge in the indoor air of waste
treatment facilities is a helpful method to identify, characterize
and evaluate the most annoying chemicals in order to prevent their
generation during the waste treatment processes, as well as to nd
solutions to suppress them (Schlegelmilch et al., 2005a, 2005b;
Mao et al., 2006; Mudliar et al., 2010; Muoz et al., 2010; Ying et
al., 2012).
The aim of the present study is to show the application of a
methodology based on the determination of VOC and VSC air concentrations and their odour contribution to the total odorous
charge in the indoor air of a MSW treatment facility. The presented
methodology will be a valuable tool for the implementation of
measures to diminish the emission of the more critic compounds.
2. Materials and methods
2.1. Chemicals and materials
Standards of VOC with a purity of no less than 98% were
obtained from Aldrich (Milwaukee, WI, USA), Merck (Darmstadt,
Germany) and Fluka (Buchs, Switzerland). Methanol for gas
chromatography (SupraSolv) with a purity P99.8% was obtained
from Merck (Darmstadt, Germany). Perkin Elmer glass tubes
(Pyrex, 6 mm external diameter, 90 mm long), unsilanised wool,
Carbotrap (20/40 mesh), Carbopack X (40/60 mesh), Carboxen
569 (20/45 mesh) and Tenax TA (60/80 mesh) adsorbents were
purchased from Supelco (Bellefonte, PA, USA).
2.2. Sampling strategy
The application of the presented methodology was done in a
mechanicalbiological waste treatment (MBT) plant located in
the metropolitan area of Barcelona, which has been operating for
10 years and has a processing capacity of 245,000 tons year 1 of
municipal residues, composing both a selected organic fraction
(85,000 tons year 1) and a waste fraction (160,000 tons year 1).
The selected organic fraction is anaerobically fermented in a
methanation process to obtain biogas. After methanation, the
remaining organic matter is composted through an aerobic process. The waste fraction (Table 1) goes through a rst stage of
mechanical pre-treatment in order to separate the organic matter
from the inorganic materials, and recover the recyclable materials
(paper, metal, glass, plastic). The separated organic matter is then
composted via an aerobic treatment, together with the remaining
organic matter from the methanation (Fig. 1).

The knowledge of the actual and potential emission sources

from the different processes that comprise waste treatments and
their major emitted compounds is a key point to assess the odorous release into the plant indoor air (Schlegelmilch et al., 2005b;
Scaglia et al., 2011). Therefore, ve selected locations were chosen
as sampling points in the MBT plant, as follows: 1. BRS (Platform of
Rotating Biostabilizers), 2. Shipping warehouse, 3. Composting
tunnels, 4. Digest centrifugals, and 5. Humid pre-treatment
(Fig. 1). Three samples were taken from each sampling point in
three different weeks of the month of July 2011. Summer season
was chosen for sampling as the high temperatures expected for
this period of the year assured us the worst possible scenario.
VOC and VSC were dynamically sampled by connecting custom
packed glass multi-sorbent cartridge tubes (Carbotrap 20/40,
70 mg; Carbopack X 40/60, 100 mg and Carboxen 569 20/45,
90 mg) and Tenax TA (60/80, 200 mg) tubes to AirChek 2000 SKC
pumps (Ribes et al., 2007; Gallego et al., 2008). Collected air samples were analysed by thermal desorption and gas chromatographymass spectrometry (TDGC/MSD) (Ribes et al., 2007). This
methodology has been used in previous studies to identify and
determine a wide range of VOC and VSC in ambient air (Gallego
et al., 2008, 2009b, 2011b).
2.3. Analytical instrumentation
The analysis of VOC was performed by TDGC/MS, using a Unity
Series 2 Thermal Desorber coupled to a multi-tube autosampler Ultra 2 (Markes International Limited, Llantrisant, UK) and a 6890 N
Network GC System interfaced with a 5973 Network MSD (Agilent
Technologies, Palo Alto, USA).
The methodology is described in the literature (Ribes et al.,
2007; Gallego et al., 2008, 2009b). Thermal primary desorption of
the sampling tubes was carried out at 300 C, with a Helium ow
rate of 50 ml min 1 for 10 min. The double-split applied to the
TD system (cold trap inlet and outlet splits of 4 ml min 1 and
7 ml min 1, respectively) allowed 12% of the tube analytes to reach
the MS detector. The cold trap (15 mg Tenax TA and 15 mg Carbotrap), was maintained at 30 C. After primary desorption, the cold
trap was rapidly heated from 30 C to 300 C (secondary desorption), and maintained at this temperature for 10 min. Analytes
were then injected into the capillary column (DB-624,
60 m  0.25 mm  1.4 lm) via a transfer line heated at 200 C.
The column oven temperature started at 40 C for 1 min, increased
to 230 C at a rate of 6 C min 1 and then was maintained at 230 C
for 5 min. Helium (99.999%) carrier gas ow in the analytical column was approximately 1 ml min 1 (1.4 bar).
Electron impact source was obtained with electron energy of
70 eV. Mass spectral data were acquired over a mass range of
20300 amu. The qualitative identication of VOC was based on
the match of the ion ratios of the target qualier ions using the
MS Chemstation Data System validated software package with
the NIST05 mass spectral library (NIST/EPA/NIH, Nist MS Search
version 2.0 d, April 2005). VOC were veried, when possible, using
retention times of authentic standards of VOC. Quantication of
samples was conducted by the external standard method. Limits
of detection (LOD), determined applying a signal-to-noise ratio of
3, range from 0.001 to 10 ng. The studied compounds show repeatabilities (% relative standard deviation values) 6 25% (Ribes et al.,
2007), accomplishing the EPA performance criteria (U.S. EPA, 1999).
3. Results and discussion
3.1. Characterisation of indoor air concentrations
One hundred and thirty chemical compounds were determined
qualitatively in all studied points (mainly alkanes, aromatic

E. Gallego et al. / Waste Management 32 (2012) 24692481

Table 1
Mean composition of MSW in Catalonia. Source: Agncia de Residus de Catalunya,
2009.
Fraction

Content
(%)

Organic matter
Paper and cardboard
Glass
Light packaging (plastics, tetra bricks, aluminium cans, metal
cans,. . .)
Textile
Sanitary textile
Large residues
Construction residues
Others

36
18
7
12
5
3
5
4
11

hydrocarbons, alcohols, aldehydes, esters, and terpenes) (Table 2).

The average percent contribution of the identied chemical compounds in all the studied locations is shown in Fig. 2, as there
was little variation in the types of compounds detected from point
to point. Some of the detected compounds are similar with those
reported in the literature as common compounds: (i) derived from
aerobic and/or anaerobic degradation of MSW in biowaste composting facilities and MBT plants (Schlegelmilch et al., 2005a;
Staley et al., 2006; Mao et al., 2006; Liu et al., 2009; Scaglia et al.,
2011), (ii) present in the indoor air of PVC plastic waste recycling
plants (Tsai et al., 2009), (iii) released from virgin and/or recycled
plastic materials (Espert et al., 2005; Dutra et al., 2011), (iv) or
emitted from landlls (Allen et al., 1997; Slack et al., 2005; Dincer
et al., 2006; Chiriac et al., 2007, 2011; Ying et al., 2012).
The origin and type of waste treated in the facility would determine the nature of VOC released to the indoor air of the plant (Chiriac
et al., 2007). Hence, the knowledge of the kind of compounds present
in air samples allows us to do an extrapolation back to the original
source of the emitted compounds (Slack et al., 2005), in spite of
the fact that several chemical species can be derived from decomposition processes that would depend in an important way on the reactions that occur within the waste/compost piles and in the different
waste treatment procedures that take place in the facility. The types
of compounds found in the studied installation mainly correspond
to products of biological degradation processes (Schlegelmilch
et al., 2005a), as the biodegradable fraction of MSW is the main causer of VOC and odours emissions in treatment and/or landll facilities (Chiriac et al., 2011; Scaglia et al., 2011). Apart from the
decomposition processes, the detected compounds are also generally used as solvents, cosmetic, avour and fragrance agents, but also
employed in the production of plastics, cleaners, adhesives, paints

2471

and pharmaceuticals (Table 2). Hence, they can be released from

packaging materials, as several solvents are used in their manufacturing processes (e.g. printing inks, over lacquers, adhesives and varnishes) (Rck et al., 2005).
3.2. VOC concentrations
VOC average concentrations for those compounds with a low
odour threshold as well as those with toxicity or possible negative
health effects are shown in Table 3. Alcohols, esters, terpenoids and
carboxylic acids show higher concentrations in respect to the other
families evaluated. Valores Lmite Ambientales-Exposicin Diaria
(VLA-ED), the Spanish correspondence for Threshold Limit ValueTime Weighted Average (TLV-TWA, the level to which it is believed
a worker can be exposed 8 h a day and 40 h a week during working
lifetime without suffering adverse health effects) and the odour
thresholds of the compounds, are also shown when available.
The results obtained show that VOC concentrations do not exceed
the VLA-ED, as it has been observed in previous studies conducted
in similar facilities (Leguizamn, 2003; Nadal et al., 2009; Scaglia
et al., 2011). On the other hand, odour thresholds are exceeded
for several compounds, mainly alcohols, aldehydes, esters, acids,
terpenoids and organosulfurs (Table 3).
The highest VOC concentrations are found in the Rotating biostabilizers (287 145 mg m 3), which present relevant variability during the three different days of the three studied weeks for some
compounds (e.g. alcohols, halocarbons, esters, acids and terpenoids). In this location, after a separation of bulky material (e.g.
plastic, metal) and paper and cardboard >450 mm diameter,
freshly arrived non-separated municipal solid waste is treated in
order to pre-ferment and break down the paper fraction and incorporate it to the organic matter. This aspect is in accordance with
previous studies that have found that in composting facilities, as
well as in landlls, the main sources of VOC and odorous emissions
are found when handling and moving the fresh waste (Chiriac
et al., 2007; Schlegelmilch et al., 2005a).
The Shipping warehouse, where the mature compost is piled in
order to be dispatched, presents the lowest VOC concentrations
and low variability among samples (60 10 mg m 3). Considering
that the composting process has culminated and the organic matter is completely converted into compost and stabilized, the moderate concentrations found in this location could be expected.
The Composting tunnels, the Digest Centrifugals and the Humid
pre-treatment locations show similar VOC concentrations, 143
13 mg m 3, 109 89 mg m 3 and 132 85 mg m 3, respectively.
However, the data obtained at the Digest centrifugals and the

Fig. 1. Technological process of the MBT facility. Sampling points: 1. BRS, 2. Shipping warehouse, 3. Composting tunnels, 4. Digest centrifugals, and 5. Humid pre-treatment.

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E. Gallego et al. / Waste Management 32 (2012) 24692481

Table 2
Indoor air chemical composition at ve locations of the studied MBT plant. 1: BRS (Platform of Rotating Biostabilizers), 2: Shipping warehouse, 3: Composting tunnels, 4: Digest
centrifugals, and 5: Humid pre-treatment.
Compound

CAS no.

Alkanes
1,1,2,3-Tetramethylcyclohexane
1,1,3-TrimethylcyclohexaneA
1,3-Diethylcyclopentane, trans
1,3,5-Trimethyl-trans-cyclohexane
2,3,6-Trimethylheptane
2-Methyl-3-ethylheptane
2-MethylhexaneA
2-MethylnonaneA
3,5-Dimethylheptane
3,6-Dimethyloctane
3-MethylhexaneA
3-Methylnonane
3-Methyloctane
3-Methylpentane
4-MethylnonaneA
CyclohexaneA
CyclopentaneA

6783-92-2
3073-66-3
69-802-5
1795-26-2
4032-93-3
14676-29-0
591-76-4
871-83-0
926-82-9
15869-94-0
589-34-4
5911-04-6
2216-33-3
96-14-0
17301-94-9
110-82-7
287-92-3

Methylcyclohexane
Isobutane
IsopentaneA
IsopropylcyclohexaneA
Methylcyclohexane
n-Butane
n-DecaneA
n-DodecaneA
n-HeptaneA
n-HexaneA
n-NonaneA
n-OctaneA
n-PentaneA
n-TetradecaneA
n-TridecaneA
n-UndecaneA

1678-91-7
75-28-5
78-78-4
696-29-7
108-87-2
106-97-8
124-18-5
112-40-3
142-82-5
110-54-3
111-84-2
111-65-9
109-66-0
629-59-4
629-50-5
1120-21-4

Aromatic hydrocarbons
1,2,3-TrimethylbenzeneA
1,2,4-trimethylbenzene
1,3,5-TrimethylbenzeneA
1-methylnaphthaleneA
2-MethylnaphthaleneA
Benzene

526-73-8
95-63-6
108-67-8
90-12-0
91-57-6
71-43-2

EthylbenzeneA
m-XyleneA
NaphthaleneA
n-Propylbenzene
o-Ethyltoluene
o-XyleneA

100-41-4
108-38-3
91-20-3
103-65-1
611-14-3
95-47-6

p-Diethylbenzene
p-Ethyltoluene
p-Propyltoluene
p-XyleneA
StyreneA
TolueneA

105-05-5
622-96-8
1074-55-1
106-42-3
100-42-5
108-88-3

Alcohols
1-ButanolA
1-HexanolA
1-PentanolA
1-PropanolA
2-ButanolA
2-Methyl-1-propanolA
2-Methyl-3-buten-2-olA
2-Propyl-1-pentanol
3-Methyl-1-butanolA

Odour characteristicsa

Possible sources/usesb

Green, sweet

Natural occurrence in chicken and beef meat

Natural occurrence in coffee

Flavour agents. Natural occurrence in pork

Pungent
Petroleum-like

Solvents, cleaners, dry cleaning, solid fuels

Synthetic resins, rubber adhesives, polyurethane
insulating foam
Solvents
Refrigerants, propellants, sprays
Propellants

Faintly aromatic

Solvents, fuels
Propellants
Solvents, plastics, fuel
Solvents, fragrance agents
Solvents
Solvents, fuels, glues and adhesives
Fuels, lubricants, fragrance agents
Solvents, fuels
Solvents, fuels, propellants
Fuels, lubricants, avour and fragrance agents
Fuels, lubricants, fragrance agents
Fuels, lubricants, fragrance agents

Sweet, ethereal
Slightly disagreeable
Gasoline-like
Gasoline-like
Mild, waxy

Plastic
Chemical, medicinal, camphor
Aromatic

Pungent, dry, tarry

Solvents, fuels
Solvents, fuels
Solvents, fuels. Natural occurrence in coffee
Insecticides, avour agents
Insecticides, avour and fragrance agents
Dyes, pesticides, lubricants, detergents,
pharmaceuticals
Adhesives and paints, pesticides, fragrance agents
Solvents in paints, plastics
Toilet-deodorisers, mothballs, insecticides
Solvents, dyes, asphalts
Solvents
Solvents in paints, plastics, herbicides and
bactericides
Solvents
Solvents

Sweet, balsam, oral, plastic

Sweet

Solvents in paints, plastics, herbicides

Plastic, rubber, resins
Solvents in paints and inks, foams

71-36-3
111-27-3
71-41-0
71-23-8
78-92-2
78-83-1
115-18-4
58175-57-8
123-51-3

Fermented, fusel, oil, sweet, balsam

Alcoholic, ethereal, fusel, oil, fruity, sweet, green
Fermented, fusel, oil, sweet, balsam
Alcoholic, fermented, musty, fusel
Sweet, apricot
Ethereal, winey, fusel
Herbal, earthy, oily

Solvents, cosmetic, avour and fragrance agents

Cosmetic, avour and fragrance agents
Solvents, avour and fragrance agents
Solvents, avour and fragrance agents
Solvents, avour and fragrance agents
Solvents, plastics, avour agents
Flavour and fragrance agents

Alcoholic, fusel, oil, fruity, fermented, ethereal

Ethanol
IsopropanolA
MethanolA

64-17-5
67-63-0
67-56-1

Strong, alcoholic, ethereal, medical

Alcoholic, musty, woody
Alcoholic

Solvents, cosmetic and avour agents,

pharmaceuticals, medicines
Solvents, air fresheners
Solvents, avour agents, air fresheners
Solvents

Ketones
AcetoneA

67-64-1

Solvent, ethereal, sweet, apple, pear

Solvents, avour agents, cleaning products

2473

E. Gallego et al. / Waste Management 32 (2012) 24692481

Table 2 (continued)
CAS no.

Odour characteristicsa

Possible sources/usesb

Diacetyl
MethylethylketoneA

431-03-8
78-93-3

Strong, pungent, butter, sweet, creamy, caramel

Ethereal, fruity, camphor

MethylisobutylketoneA

108-10-1

Solvent, green, herbal, fruity, dairy, spice

Flavour agents
Solvents, avour agents, adhesives, plastics, textiles,
paints
Solvents, cosmetic, avour and fragrance agents,
adhesives

Halocarbons
1,1,1-Trichloroethane

71-55-6

Sharp, sweet, ethereal

Chloroform
Dichloromethane
p-Dichlorobenzene
Tetrachloroethylene
Trichloroethylene

67-66-3
75-09-2
106-46-7
127-18-4
79-01-6

Sweaty, sweet
Moderately sweet
Strong
Ethereal
Sweet

Aldehydes
AcetaldehydeA
BenzaldehydeA

75-07-0
100-52-7

Pungent, ethereal, fresh, fruity, green

Sweet, bitter almond, cherry, woody

HexanalA
IsobutyraldehydeA

66-25-1
78-84-2

Fresh, green, fatty, fruity, sweaty

Fresh, oral, spicy

IsovaleraldehydeA
MethacrylaldehydeA
PentanalA
PropanalA

590-86-3
78-85-3
110-62-3
123-38-6

Ethereal, fatty, chocolate, peach

Esters
Allyl ethyl carbonate
Butyl acetateA

1469-70-1
123-86-4

Ethereal, sweet, fruity, banana, solvent

Ethyl acetateA

141-78-6

Ethereal, sweet, fruity, weedy, green

105-54-4

Ethereal, sweet, fruity, juicy, pineapple, cognac

Ethyl hexanoateA
Ethyl isovalerateA
Ethyl propionateA

123-66-0
108-64-5
105-37-3

Ethyl valerateA
Isobutyl acetateA

539-82-2
110-19-0

Sweet, fruity, pineapple, waxy, green, banana

Sweet, fruity, green, apple, pineapple
Ethereal, sweet, fruity, juicy, grape, pineapple,
rum
Sweet, fruity, green, apple, pineapple, tropical
Ethereal, sweet, fruity, banana, tropical

Isopropyl acetateA
Methyl acetateA

108-21-4
79-20-9

Ethereal, sweet, fruity, banana, chemical

Ethereal, sweet, fruity, green

Methyl butyrateA
Methyl hexanoateA
Propyl acetateA

623-42-7
106-70-7
109-60-4

Propyl propionateA

106-36-5

Sweet, fruity, apple, banana, pineapple

Ethereal, fruity, pineapple
Ethereal, fruity, solvent, celery, fusel, raspberry,
pear
Sweet, fruity, pungent, chemical, pineapple

Acids
Acetic acidA

64-19-7

Sharp, pungent, sour, vinegar

Butanoic acid
Dimethyl malonic acid
Hexanoic acidA
Isovaleric acidA

107-92-6
595-46-0
142-62-1
503-74-2

Sharp, acidic, sour, cheese, butter, dairy, fruit

Propanoic acidA

79-09-4

Pungent, acidic, cheesy, vinegar, dairy

Terpenoids
4-CareneA
CampheneA
D-LimoneneA

29050-33-7
79-92-5
5989-27-5

Woody, herbal, minty, citrus, green, spicy

Citrus, orange, fresh, sweet

EucalyptolA

470-82-6

Eucalyptus, herbal, camphor

m-Menth-1-ene
p-CymeneA
SabineneA
TerpinoleneA
a-PhellandreneA
a-PineneA
b-MyrceneA

13828-31-4
99-87-6
3387-41-5
586-62-9
99-83-2
80-56-8
123-35-3

Citrus, fresh, woody, spicy

Citrus, woody, pine, spicy
Citrus, fresh, woody, pine, sweet
Citrus, fresh, woody, herbal, green
Fresh, woody, pine, sweet, earthy
Citrus, woody, spicy, peppery, balsam, plastic

Compound
A

Ethyl butyrate

Fermented, bready, fruity, nutty, berry

Alcoholic, earthy, winey, whiskey, cocoa, nutty

Sour, fatty, sweaty, cheese

Sour, sweaty, cheese, stinky feet, dairy, tropical

Solvents, paint and adhesives, cleaning products,

degreasers, aerosols
Solvents, adhesives, plastics, insecticides
Solvents, aerosols, cleaners, pesticides
Toilet-deodorisers, mothballs, pesticides
Solvents, degreasants, dry-cleaning
Solvents, degreasants, cleaners, dry-cleaning,
refrigerants, pesticides
Cosmetic and avour agents, resins
Flavour and fragrance agents, plastics,
pharmaceuticals
Flavour and fragrance agents
Cosmetic and avour agents, plastics,
pharmaceuticals
Flavour agents
Resins
Flavour and fragrance agents
Flavour agents, plastics, pharmaceuticals,
disinfectants

Flavour and fragrance agents, paints, adhesives,

cleaners, pharmaceuticals
Solvents, avour and fragrance agents, cleaners,
pharmaceuticals
Solvents, avour and fragrance agents, cardboard and
paper packaging
Cosmetic, avour and fragrance agents, pesticides
Flavour and fragrance agents, plastics
Flavour and fragrance agents
Flavour and fragrance agents
Solvents, cosmetic, avour and fragrance agents,
pharmaceuticals
Solvents, avour agents, plastics
Solvents, cosmetic, avour and fragrance agents,
glues, paints
Flavour and fragrance agents
Cosmetic, avour and fragrance agents
Solvents, cosmetic, avour and fragrance agents
Solvents, avour and fragrance agents, plastics,
pesticides, pharmaceuticals
Paints, adhesives, textiles, pharmaceuticals, avour
enhancers
Flavour agents, plastics, textiles
Flavour and fragrance agents, plastics
Cosmetic, avour and fragrance agents, plastics,
adhesives, pharmaceuticals
Plastics, preservatives, pharmaceuticals

Flavour and
Flavour and
fresheners
Flavour and
insecticides
Flavour and
Flavour and
Flavour and
Flavour and
Flavour and
Flavour and
Flavour and

fragrance agents, camphor, insecticides

fragrance agents, pharmaceuticals, air
fragrance agents, pharmaceuticals,
fragrance
fragrance
fragrance
fragrance
fragrance
fragrance
fragrance

agents
agents
agents
agents
agents
agents, solvents, resins
agents, pharmaceuticals
(continued on next page)

2474

E. Gallego et al. / Waste Management 32 (2012) 24692481

Table 2 (continued)
CAS no.

Odour characteristicsa

Possible sources/usesb

b-Pinene
b-ThujeneA
c-TerpineneA

127-91-3
58037-87-9
99-85-4

Fresh, woody, pine, spicy, resinous, green

Flavour and fragrance agents, solvents, resins

Citrus, woody, oily, tropical, herbal

Flavour and fragrance agents

Organosulfurs
Carbon disulde
DimethyldisuldeA
DimethylsuldeA

75-15-0
624-92-0
75-18-3

Rubbers, textiles, insecticides

Flavour agents
Cosmetic, avour and fragrance agents

MethylthioacetateA

1534-08-3

Strong, disagreeable
Sulphurous, onion, vegetable, cabbage
Sulphurous, onion, sweet corn, vegetable,
cabbage, green, wild radish
Sulphurous, eggy, cheese, dairy, vegetable,
cabbage

Ethers
1,2-Epoxybutane
tert-Butyl ethyl ether
tert-Butyl methyl ether

106-88-7
637-92-3
1634-04-4

Unpleasant, ethereal
Terpene-like
Minty, ethereal

Plastics
Gasoline
Gasoline, solvents, avour agents

Furans
2-PentylfuranA
Tetrahydrofuran

3777-69-3
109-99-9

Fruity, green, earthy, waxy, metallic

Flavour and fragrance agents

Food additive, solvent, textiles, plastics

Others
1-Methoxy-2-propanol
Acetonitrile
Octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane

107-98-2
75-05-8
6783-92-2

Pleasant

Solvents, paints, cosmetic and fragrance agents

Solvents, rubber, resins, pharmaceuticals
Varnish, oil/waxes, rubber, silicones, personal care
products

Gasoline-like

Plastic, rubber

Compound
A

p-Trimethylsiloxylphenylbis(trimethylsilyloxy)ethane
2,4,4-Trimethyl-1-pentene
a
b
c
A

Flavour agents

N/Ac
107-40-4

Source: The Good Scent Company (http://www.thegoodscentscompany.com).

Source: The Good Scent Company (http://www.thegoodscentscompany.com) and Chemicalland21 (www.chemicalland21.com).
Not available.
Natural occurrence in plants and/or animals.

Others

100%

Furans
Ethers
80%
Organosulfurs

Family (%)

Terpenoids
60%

Acids
Esters
Aldehydes

40%

Halocarbons
Ketones
20%
Alcohols
Aromatic
hydrocarbons
Alkanes

0%

Average
Fig. 2. VOC families distribution for all compounds identied qualitatively.
Percentage of compounds of each family in respect to all compounds identied.

Humid pre-treatment present more variability during the studied

days. The Digest Centrifugals and the Humid pre-treatment are located in the same building, without compartmentation. There are 6
digest centrifugals used to diminish the water content in the
remaining organic matter from the anaerobic digestion prior to
its aerobic composting process. Not all and the same digest centrif-

ugals were operating during the three sampling days (generally

only two centrifugals were functioning simultaneously); hence,
the observed variability could be assigned to this fact.
In the Composting tunnels the variability of the obtained data is
lower, showing relevant concentrations of ketones, esters and
acids. These types of oxygen-based compounds are known to be
originated from incomplete aerobic processes in the organic matter
fermentation stage (Leach et al., 1999; Statheropoulos et al., 2005).
Methyl ethyl ketone accounted for the 73 8% of all quantied ketones, as it has been observed in a previous study (He et al., 2010).
Additionally, the obtained concentrations in the composting tunnels, with BTEX and styrene average values of 1395 198 lg m 3,
are of the same order of magnitude with those obtained several
years ago in the same facility, 950.7 lg m 3 (Leguizamn, 2003),
as well as those obtained in a similar facility, that presented BTEX
and styrene concentrations of 1087.3 lg m 3 (Nadal et al., 2009).
BTEX and styrene concentrations in the ve studied locations
are evaluated at 6271% of all quantied aromatic concentrations,
as it has been observed in previous studies, where these emissions
in MSW decomposition have been found to be the most important
among aromatic compounds releases (Staley et al., 2006). On the
other hand, limonene, as already observed in earlier waste treatment studies (Heida et al., 1995; Staley et al., 2006; Bruno et al.,
2007; He et al., 2010), was one of the most concentrated compounds in all studied locations, with concentrations ranging from
2 to 56 mg m 3, only exceeded by ethanol (11238 mg m 3). Limonene and terpenoids can be derived from household fragrance
products (e.g. air fresheners, detergents), however, an important
release of these compounds can come through the emission of
plant and vegetable waste as well as from the degradation processes of the organic matter (Pxeus, 2000; Chiriac et al., 2007;
He et al., 2010; Scaglia et al., 2011).
Halocarbon concentrations were quite variable in the Rotating
biostabilizers, the Digest Centrifugals and the Humid pre-treatment. As an example, tetrachloroethylene concentrations in the
Rotating biostabilizers were 424, 362 and 4786 lg m 3 the 14, 18

E. Gallego et al. / Waste Management 32 (2012) 24692481

2475

Table 3
Average standard deviation of VOC concentrations (lg m 3) found in the different sampling locations (n = 3, corresponding to the days 14, 18 and 25 July 2011). Concentrations
with grey shading exceed the odour threshold of the compound.

(continued on next page)

2476

E. Gallego et al. / Waste Management 32 (2012) 24692481

Table 3 (continued)

a
Source: Compilations of odour threshold values in air and water, L.J. van Gemert (TNO Nutrition and Food Research Institute). Boelens Aroma Chemicals Information
Service (BACIS). The Netherlands (2003); Odor Thresholds for Chemicals with Established Occupational Health Standards American Industrial Hygiene Association. USA
(2009); Reference Guide to Odor Thresholds for Hazardous Air Pollutants Listed in the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. EPA/600/R-92/047 (2009); and Measurement of
odor threshold by triangle odor bag method, Y. Nagata. Odor Measurement Review, 118127, Japan Ministry of Environment (2003).
b
Valor Lmite Ambiental-Exposicin Diaria: the Spanish correspondence for Threshold Limit Value-Time Weighted Average (TLV-TWA).
c
Value not determined.
d
As TLV-TWA.
e
As VLA-EC: Valor Lmite Ambiental-Exposicin de corta duracin (maximum of 15 min during the daily exposure).
f
Proposed value.

and 25 of July 2011, respectively. These compounds can be released from chlorinated materials in the MSW (Leach et al.,
1999), such as paints, adhesives, plastics, aerosols, dry cleaning
agents and pesticides (Allen et al., 1997; Chiriac et al., 2007; He
et al., 2010). It has been observed that VOC emissions vary depending on the origin and the type of the waste, as well as of the particular conditions existing within the waste bundle (Slack et al., 2005;

Chiriac et al., 2007). Hence, the variety in the nature of the municipal solid waste that arrives to the facility can induce the random
halocarbon concentrations found, mainly in the Rotating
biostabilizers.
The correlation of the different quantied compounds was analysed by a correlation coefcient (r2) matrix. As there were 86
quantied compounds and a relevant portion of them correlated

2477

E. Gallego et al. / Waste Management 32 (2012) 24692481

Table 4
Correlation coefcients (r2) of the concentrations of the different families studied (n = 15). Bold values correspond to signicant correlations (F-Snedecor, p < 0.001).
Families

Aromatic
hydrocarbons

Alcohols

Ketones

Halocarbons

Aldehydes

Esters

Acids

Terpenoids

Organosulfurs

Ethers

Furans

Others

Alkanes
Aromatic
hydrocarbons
Alcohols
Ketones
Halocarbons
Aldehydes
Esters
Acids
Terpenoids
Organosulfurs
Ethers
Furans

0.978

0.881
0.942

0.401
0.495

0.780
0.855

0.669
0.691

0.946
0.977

0.643
0.734

0.554
0.575

0.009
0.009

0.828
0.874

0.554
0.446

0.155
0.235

0.600

0.773
0.417

0.822
0.486
0.429

0.913
0.520
0.897
0.668

0.773
0.538
0.717
0.449
0.726

0.611
0.287
0.473
0.486
0.535
0.322

0.025
0.035
0.008
0.011
0.001
0.020
0.075

0.755
0.507
0.914
0.427
0.921
0.709
0.380
0.005

0.367
0.161
0.156
0.459
0.414
0.145
0.211
0.024
0.320

0.266
0.634
0.310
0.109
0.274
0.387
0.085
0.030
0.333
0.002

with each other, the correlations were evaluated by family groups

(Table 4). Correlation coefcients with values over 0.800 were
examined, all with a high signicance (F-Snedecor, p < 0.001).
The high correlation between the indoor air family concentrations
of alkanes, aromatic hydrocarbons, alcohols, aldehydes, esters and
ethers, is good evidence that the emissions of these compounds
come from the same source, as it had been observed in a study conducted in a landll, where aromatic hydrocarbons and non-halogenated aliphatic hydrocarbons correlated well with each other due
to their similar origin. In that study, however, chlorinated compounds seemed to have distinct sources, as generally did not correlate strongly with the other evaluated families (Scheutz et al.,
2008). As mentioned before, halocarbon possible origins include
aerosols, paint removers, dry cleaners, foams, paints and varnishes
among others, a type of waste that is resistant to biodegradation
(Statheropoulos et al., 2005; Scaglia et al., 2011). This aspect may
be the reason for their lower correlation coefcients observed in
the present study.
On the other hand, ketones, carboxylic acids, terpenoids,
organosulfurs and furans do not correlate substantially with other
families. Furthermore, benzene concentrations do not correlate
with any other compound quantied; an aspect that has been observed in previous studies conducted in landlls (Kim and Kim,
2002; Kim et al., 2008). This lack of correlation was reasoned to
be caused by the different possible origins of aromatics in landlls
in respect to residential, commercial and industrial areas
(Durmusoglu et al., 2010), as well as from motor vehicle sources,
where benzene vs. hydrocarbons correlations can be used as
sensitive indicators of engines exhausts (Kim and Kim, 2002;
Dincer et al., 2006).
3.3. Odour charge determination
In several research evaluations, good correlations have been observed between VOC concentrations and OU determined through
olfactometry (Schlegelmilch et al., 2005a; Dincer et al., 2006; Scaglia et al., 2011), corroborating that VOC are the main responsible
of the odorous perception. As a working hypothesis, the overall
odour concentration, determined as odour units, has been estimated to be the addition of the odour units corresponding to the
single species determined, assuming the superposition of the individual odorous concentrations (Schauberger et al., 2011). The OU
for each compound and family evaluated in the ve studied locations are presented in Table 5. OU, and consequently the total
odorous charge, could only be calculated for the chemical compounds that had odour thresholds available. Hence, if a concrete
compound with no odour threshold dened contributes in an
important way to the odour burden, an underestimation of the
odorous nuisance can be achieved (Schauberger et al., 2011).

Accordingly, more research has to be done in order to determine

the odour threshold for the maximum number of chemical substances possible, especially those with considerable odorous
properties.
Total calculated odour units in the ve sampling points range
between 1166 and 27,791 OU, depending on the day and sampling
location (Table 5). That is in agreement with the range of several
thousands to several 10,000 OU m 3 that can be found in exhaust
air from composting processes (Schlegelmilch et al., 2005a), and
the 30,000 OU m 3 and 5000 OU m 3 that were determined in
the initial and intermediate (28 days) gaseous samples from a
composting process (Scaglia et al., 2011).
Esters, carboxylic acids and aldehydes are the families that
contribute in a greater part to OU (Fig. 3), as already observed in
a previous study (Dincer et al., 2006). From these families, 21% of
the evaluated compounds in respect to OU have odour thresholds
below 1 lg m 3. Additionally, 37%, 26% and 16% of the compounds
have odour thresholds between 1 and 10 lg m 3, 10 and
30 lg m 3, and above 30 lg m 3, respectively (Table 3). These
families, together with some other compounds (e.g. 2-methylnaphthalene, naphthalene, eucalyptol, dimethyldisulde and
dimethylsulde, all with odour thresholds <10 lg m 3), present
the lowest odour thresholds of all studied VOC. In a previous study,
carboxylic acids were believed to be responsible of undesirable
odours coming from recycled biobre/polypropylene composites,
mainly due to their low odour thresholds (Espert et al., 2005).
Regarding this aspect, the compounds showing high concentrations are not always blameable for the odours generated. Alcohols
and terpenoids, which were two of the families that contributed in
a greater part to VOC concentrations, show total OU values in the
range of 7.0201 OU and 7.8162 OU, respectively.
The knowledge of the concrete compounds that cause in a great
degree the odorous nuisance is an useful tool for a further determination of their source and the application of corrective measures to
diminish their emissions to the indoor air.
3.4. Corrective measures
The studied facility is equipped with acidic showers, humidiers and biolters for the gaseous treatment of the air exhausted
outdoors, in order to avoid odorous emissions. However, indoor
air is not treated. A rst approach to diminish the odorous charge
inside the facility, without having to redimension the gas treatment system, would imply an increase of the extraction ow on
the locations with higher OU and a decrease of the extraction ow
on the locations with lower OU, without increasing the total
extraction ow.
A second and more advisable procedure would be a thorough
treatment of the indoor air of the plant. Several studies have

Compound

2478

Table 5
Odour units (OU) in each sampling location.
Odour units (OU)
Rotating biostabilizers
14 July
2011
Aromatic hydrocarbons
1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene
2-Methylnaphthalene
Ethylbenzene
m + p-Xylene
Naphthalene
p-Diethylbenzene
p-Ethyltoluene
Styrene
Total OU aromatic
hydrocarbons

Ketones
Methylethylketone
Methylisobutylketone
Total OU Ketones

Composting tunnels

Digest centrifugals

Humid pre-treatment

25 July
2011

14 July
2011

18 July
2011

25 July
2011

14 July
2011

18 July
2011

25 July
2011

14 July
2011

18 July
2011

25 July
2011

14 July
2011

18 July
2011

25 July
2011

4.1
1.0

1.2
2.5
21
9.6
8.1
45

1.7

1.0
1.8
9.7
3.4
9.5
27

8.2
132
1.7
2.6
14
32
20
13
224

1.4
2.8
1.3
2.6
8.1

1.9
2.6
1.1
4.0
9.6

19

1.9
1.7
1.0
2.2
26

1.5
1.4

2.2
6.7
2.9
5.8
21

1.4
3.5

4.4
4.7
2.6
9.7
26

1.5
12

2.8
6.0
3.2
5.7
31

1.1
12

1.4
4.6
2.4
3.9
25

5.2

1.2
1.4

1.1
8.9

2.8
7.2

1.1
2.4
10
6.1
8.0
38

1.8
4.8

1.4
7.2
4.1
7.0
26

4.6

1.0

1.4
7.0

3.2
4.8

1.3
1.7
12
7.0
9.8
40

1.2
8.9
5.8
6.3
22
57
101

1.6
5.5
9.5
3.9
5.5
53
79

4.2
14
26
2.2
36
119
201

2.0
2.1
3.5
4.9
17
30

2.2
3.2
3.9
4.2
17
30

1.7
2.9

3.0
12
20

4.1
4.0
3.5
8.1
37
57

2.2
11
9.5
6.2
13
42
84

1.4
4.7
9.7

8.9
34
59

4.3
2.9
2.2
4.5
24
38

1.4
5.6
7.0

2.0
6.5
12

10
50
81

1.2
5.2
5.0
7.0
9.3
41
69

1.7
2.2
1.4
1.9
9.0
16

2.2
9.3
13

12
55
92

1.4
1.4

1.2
1.2

1.1
2.8
3.9

1.5
1.5

1.6
1.6

Aldehydes
Acetaldehyde
Benzaldehyde
Hexanal
Isobutyraldehyde
Isovaleraldehyde
Pentanal
Propanal
Total OU aldehydes

1282
16
4.9
2.4
24

35
1364

1237
25
7.0
5.5
118
1.8
25
1419

1462
43
7.7
7.3
69

47
1636

418
9.3
1.9
1.8
29

5.5
466

405
13
2.9
2.9
33

6.5
463

274
9.2
1.6
1.7
17

4.7
308

538
19
3.6
2.4
51
1.0
9.3
624

801
54
6.9
4.4
63
1.9
8.7
940

729
22
5.2
4.4
47
1.5
9.6
819

421
12
1.5

10

5.0
450

173
10

4.0

187

860
33
5.2
4.2
46
1.2
10
960

768
18
2.7
1.3
17

7.3
814

242
7.3
1.0

5.7

3.4
259

1218
35
6.3
4.4
54
1.5
14
1333

Esters
Ethyl acetate
Ethyl butyrate
Ethyl hexanoate
Ethyl isovalerate
Ethyl propionate
Ethyl valerate
Methyl butyrate
Propyl acetate
Total OU esters

1.5
9353
3.4
75
65
23
2.6
2.9
9526

9509
1.7
107
64
30
3.9
4.3
9720

2.9
21,253
6.2
153
200
27
7.4
21
21,671

2598

20
21

1.2

2640

2596

22
23

1.6
1.0
2644

2641

16
16

1.3
1.3
2676

5963

67
38

2.5
1.6
6072

7830

62
49

3.4
3.1
7948

6452

52
55

2.8
4.4
6566

3199

38
21

1.2

3259

863

3.7
3.5

870

8414
2.0
70
57

2.9
5.3
8551

6326
1.3
57
44

2.0
1.5
6432

1657

9.8
9.3

1676

8846
2.0
67
64

3.2
5.3
8988

Acids
Acetic acid
Butanoic acid
Hexanoic acid
Propanoic acid
Total OU acids

23
873
60
54
1010

42
1007
43
20
1112

77
3169
301
277
3824

28
1019
13
35
1095

30
815
15
39
899

34
1354
11
90
1489

52
903
38
41
1034

57
1423
33
45
1558

45
2257
60
135
2494

42
636
28
30
736

5.3

6.7

12

40
1469
75
107
1691

59
697
38
42
836

6.5

11

18

19
665
87
57
828

E. Gallego et al. / Waste Management 32 (2012) 24692481

Alcohols
1-Butanol
1-Hexanol
1-Propanol
2-Butanol
2-Methyl-1-propanol
Ethanol
Total OU alcohols

Shipping warehouse

18 July
2011

2479

E. Gallego et al. / Waste Management 32 (2012) 24692481

Family contribution (%)

4.9
63
68
11,434
7.9
164
172
2180
3.4
178
181
8416

13
24
10
2.4
5.9
55

4.6
7.4
18

1.5
32

20
44
11
3.4
9.8
88

OU familial contribution
100

80

60

40

20

5.1
145
150
11,544

Shipping
warehouse

Aromatic hydrocarbons
Esters
Organosulfurs

Composting
tunnels

Alcohols
Acids

Digest
centrifugals

Humid pretreatment

Aldehydes
Terpenoids

3.9
55
59
10,655

4.7
47
52
10,067

2.7
240
243
4797

15
15
1166

Fig. 3. Odour units (OU) familial distribution. Percentage of OU of each family in

respect to all OU determined.

Concentration of the compound below the odour threshold, hence, odour units below the unity.

8.2
62
70
7919
1.6
19
21
4546
5.0
69
74
4136
Organosulfurs
Dimethyldisulde
Dimethylsulde
Total OU organosulfurs
Total OU

4.5
19
24
12,167

14
80
94
12,532

7.9
60
68
27,791

4.2
44
48
4304

2.6
5.2

7.8
Terpenoids
D-Limonene
Eucalyptol
p-Cymene
a-Pinene
b-Myrcene
Total OU terpenoids

20
52
5.8
4.6
11
93

18
44
5.3
2.9
9.8
80

33
87
13
8.9
20
162

4.3
7.1
4.4

1.8
18

4.3
8.4
1.5

1.6
16

13
22

2.3
5.9
43

11
20
6.0
2.1
4.2
43

11
23
3.0
2.0
6.0
45

8.4
17
18
1.4
4.2
49

1.6
9.6
54
1.1

66

18
41
2.1
3.8
6.2
71

BRS

evidenced that the combination of both a bioscrubber and a biolter removes VOC from the gas phase and degrades odours in a great
part, and has been determined to be suitable for the removal of
aldehydes, fatty acids and esters (Kleeberg et al., 2005; Ranau
et al., 2005; Schlegelmilch et al., 2005a, 2005b), the compounds
that contribute more to the odorous load of the studied facility.
Hence, a convenient approach to diminish the interior odorous
charge of the evaluated MSW treatment plant could be to treat
indoor air with a bioscrubber coupled to a biolter. To reduce
economical costs, the treatment of indoor air could only be focused
on the locations of the plant where OU are higher (e.g. Rotating
Biostabilizers).
Further studies must include an exhaustive evaluation of each
step taken by the residues that enter the MSW plant: material
handling (delivery of the waste, movement of the compost,. . .),
composting conditions (temperature, humidity, aeration,. . .),
cleanliness of the place (leaks, spills, frequency of cleaning,. . .) so
that to identify possible chemical reactions or emissions of VOC
from concrete processes/operations and determine the different
sources contribution to the total odorous charge of the facility.
These records will be helpful when establishing strategies to suppress the odorous nuisances (Schlegelmilch et al., 2005a, 2005b).
4. Conclusions
The application of the presented methodology in a municipal
solid waste treatment facility has proven to be useful in order to
determine which types of VOC contribute substantially to the indoor air odorous charge. One hundred and thirty chemical compounds were determined qualitatively. Alcohols, esters,
terpenoids and carboxylic acids showed the higher concentrations,
however, esters, carboxylic acids and aldehydes contributed in a
greater part to OU in all studied locations of the facility. The sensorial methods often used to evaluate odours do not allow the discrimination of the concrete kind of substances responsible of the
odour. And, on the other hand, the chemical evaluations of the
VOC emitted from waste treatment facilities generally do not
establish the relationship between the concentration obtained of
a concrete compound and its associated odour units. Hence, the
knowledge of a well characterized chemical composition of MSW
treatment facilities indoor air, as shown in the present article,
would be a helpful instrument to prevent the generation of odorous compounds during the waste processing procedure, as well
as to select a suitable treatment system. Additionally, a regular
gaseous monitoring in the critical operational processes of the
plant would be also a considerable progression towards the
achievement of a solution to the odorous problems. An advisable

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approach to diminish the odour charge of the evaluated MSW

treatment plant could be to treat indoor air with a bioscrubber
coupled to a biolter, in order to combine the advantages of both
technologies, as they are indicated for the treatment of fatty acids,
esters and aldehydes, the main generators of odorous nuisance in
the studied facility.
Finally, the completion of the obtained data with real odour
measurements through olfactometry is an interesting approach
to be taken into account in future studies, mainly to both validate
the obtained results and to avoid possible masking or quenching of
odours by the different compounds present in the odorous
mixture.
Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge the support given through the EHMAN project (DPI2009-09386) nanced both for the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and the European Regional
Development Fund (ERDF) from the European Union. E. Gallego
acknowledges with thanks a Juan de la Cierva grant from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation.
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