Odor emissions and microbial activity associated with biosolids dewatered using seven different polyacrylamide cationic polymers were investigated. Nitrogen, sulfur, ketone, and odor unit emissions, and biosolids microbial community metabolic profiles were measured for biosolids containing each polymer. Ammonia represented more than 98% of total nitrogen flux for all polymers, with small concentrations of trimethyl amine. Dimethyl disulfide and carbon disulfide fluxes summed represented 87 to 97% of the sulfur flux for all polymers, with lesser quantities of dimethyl sulfide. Maximum dimethyl disulfide, ammonia, and trimethyl amine concentrations were estimated to be 3.4, 3.2, and 13.5 times greater than published detection limits, respectively. Maximum dimethyl sulfide, carbon disulfide, acetone, and methyl ethyl ketone concentrations were estimated to be 0.028, 0.007, 0.002, and 0.000 6 times less than published detection limits, respectively. All treatments were found to volatilize equal odor unit emissions (with the exception of one polymer), and polymers were not found to dramatically affect odor emission from biosolids application. Metabolic fingerprints revealed differences in the ability of microbial communities from certain polymer treatments to degrade amino acids as a sole carbon substrate. In addition, odor unit emissions were significantly correlated with potential for amino acid decomposition.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.