This paper presented a modified method for the analysis of volatile organic sulfides (VOS) simultaneously with volatile organic compounds (VOC) in wastewater using purge‐and‐trap with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Calibration standards were prepared using filtered and nitrogen‐purged VOS‐free wastewater, acidified to pH 1.4. Samples were also acidified to pH 1.4. This approach minimized the oxidation of methanethiol to dimethyl disulfide (DMDS), which hampered the liquid‐phase analysis of VOS. Compounds were concentrated from the liquid phase, and automated analyses were performed without additional equipment, other than that required for routine wastewater VOC analysis. The linear range was 5 to 500 μg/L, with r 2 ≥ 0.99. The average recovery from replicate analyses of spiked samples was 81 ± 0.5% for methanethiol, 100 ± 1.5% for dimethyl sulfide (DMS), and 92 ± 1.5% for DMDS. Method detection limits were 4.8, 2.8, and 1.2 μg/L for methanethiol, DMS, and DMDS, respectively. The relative percent differences were between 0 and 8%.
Odours caused by volatile organic sulphides (VOS) have a history spanning over 20 years for Philadelphia's Northeast Water Pollution Control Plant (NEWPCP). A "canned corn" type of odour has caused residential complaints. Traditional odour control approaches based on hydrogen sulphide failed. This study confirmed that dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) from a chemical facility was the dominant cause of the "canned corn" nuisance odour in the form of dimethyl sulphide (DMS). During a discharge, DMSO concentrations up to 12 mg/L were found in the influent of the NEWPCP. Each DMSO concentration peak induced a DMS peak. DMS concentrations increased from less than 50 microg/L to 6 mg/L with a corresponding decrease in DMSO. Approximately 79% of DMSO from the primary sedimentation influent was passed to the effluent, and to downstream processes, such as the aeration tanks where the DMS was volatilised by the aeration. The DMS partial pressure in ambient air of NEWPCP can be between 0.03 and 0.18 x 10(-3) atm during a DMSO discharge. From the above information, the potential of VOS production is estimated and a practical plan for remediation can be designed.
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