Characterization of odorous charge and photochemical reactivity of VOC emissions from a full-scale food waste treatment plant in China

Food waste treatment plants （FWTPs） are usually associated with odorous nuisance and health risks, which are partially caused by volatile organic compound （VOC） emissions. This study investigated the VOC emissions from a selected full-scale FWTP in China. The feedstock used in this plant was mainly collected from local restaurants. For a year, the FWTP was closely monitored on specific days in each season. Four major indoor treatment units of the plant, including the storage room, sorting/crushing room, hydrothermal hydrolysis unit, and aerobic fermentation unit, were chosen as the monitoring locations. The highest mean concentration of total VOC emissions was observed in the aerobic fermentation unit at 21,748.2-31,283.3 μg/m^3, followed by the hydrothermal hydrolysis unit at 10,798.1-23,144.4 μg/m^3. The detected VOC families included biogenic compounds （oxygenated compounds, hydrocarbons, terpenes, and organosulfur compounds） and abiogenic compounds （aromatic hydrocarbons and halocarbons）. Oxygenated compounds, particularly alcohols, were the most abundant compounds in all samples. With the use of odor index analysis and principal components analysis, the hydrothermal hydrolysis and aerobic fermentation units were clearly distinguished from the pre-treatment units, as characterized by their higher contributions to odorous nuisance. Methanthiol was the dominant odorant in the hydrothermal hydrolysis unit, whereas aldehyde was the dominant odorant in the aerobic fermentation unit. Terpenes, specifically limonene, had the highest level of propylene equivalent concentration during the monitoring periods. This concentration can contribute to the increase in the atmospheric reactivity and ozone formation potential in the surrounding air.

Decomposition of aqueous chlorinated contaminants by UV irradiation with H2O2

In the present study, the decomposition rates of carbon tetrachloride （CC14） and 2,4-dichlorophenol （2,4- DCP） in water by the ultraviolet （UV） light irradiation alone and H2O2AYV were experimentally investigated. The detailed experimental studies have been conducted for examining treatment capacities of the two different ultraviolet light sources （low and medium pressure Hg arc） in H2O2/UV processes. The low or medium UV lamp alone resulted in a 60%-90% decomposition of 2,4-DCP while a slight addition of H2O2 resulted in a drastic enhancement of the 2,4-DCP decomposition rate. The decomposition rate of 2,4-DCP with the medium pressure UV lamp alone was about 3-6 times greater than the low pressure UV lamp alone. In the direct photolysis of aqueous CC14, the medium pressure UV lamp had advantage over the low pressure UV lamp because the molar extinction coefficient of CC14 at shorter wavelength （210-220 nm） is about 20 to 50 times higher than that at 254 nm. However, adding H202 to the medium pressure UV lamp system rendered a negative oxidation rate because H202 acted as a UV absorber being competitive with CC14 due to negligible reaction between CC14 and OH radicals. The results fi：om the present study indicated significant influence of the photochemical properties of the target contaminants on the photochemical treatment characteristics for designing cost-effective UV-based degradation of toxic contaminants.