Evaluation of Odor Reducing Agents against Volatile Odorous Compounds using Headspace-Gas Chromatography-Vacuum Ultraviolet Spectroscopy (HS-GC-VUV)

Waste handling operations (WHOs) emit trace gases consisting of volatile organic compounds, including ketones, aldehydes, alcohols, aromatics, carboxylic acids, sulfur-containing, and amine-containing compounds, most of which have an unpleasant odor. This presents living concerns to communities residing near these facilities. Specific odor reducing agents have been used to control these odors. In this study, a selection is evaluated and compared to assess their ability to counteract odorous compounds. This research focuses on evaluating the performance of five odor reducing ingredients against eleven volatile odorous compounds of differing compound classes, which are commonly emitted from WHOs, using headspace-gas chromatography-vacuum ultraviolet spectroscopy (HS-GC-VUV). The VUV detector measures the absorbance of compounds at the 125-240 nm wavelength range, where it observes unique absorption character, allowing for the differentiation of isomers and increased specificity. More specifically, GC-VUV can quantify the number of analyte molecules detected based on an analyte’s absorption cross-section, referred to as pseudo-absolute quantitative analysis. For sample preparation, a concentrated odorous compound standard was spiked into an aqueous odor reducer solution in a headspace vial. It was assessed how the odorous compound partitions between the aqueous odor reducer solution and the headspace of the vial. Ultimately, a partition coefficient (Kp) was determined. Based on evaluations made, it was found that polyethyleneimine and an amino acid mixture are effective in reducing odorous compounds.