scholarly journals Atmospheric emissions of volatile organic compounds from a mine soil treated with sewage sludge and tomato plants (Lycopersicum esculentum L.)

Author(s):  
Antonio José Fernández-Espinosa ◽  
Arancha Peña-Heras ◽  
Sabina Rossini-Oliva

Abstract A laboratory study was carried out to investigate the emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from a mining soil amended with sewage sludge and irrigated with wastewater in comparison to the non-amended soil, with or without tomato plants (Lycopersicum esculentum L.). The study detected a total of nine VOCs emitted from the polluted soil: benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, p-xylene, m-xylene, o-xylene, styrene, benzene-1,2,4-trimethyl and tetrachloroethylene, among which the most abundant were toluene, m-xylene and styrene (82.2, 4.1 and 3% respectively). The results showed that soil amended with sewage sludge reduced the emission of VOCs (styrene in pots without plants and benzene and xylenes in pots with plants). On the other hand, tomato plants contributed to increase significantly the emissions of all VOCs except styrene in both amended and non-amended soils.

1982 ◽  
Vol 65 (6) ◽  
pp. 1370-1374
Author(s):  
Rein Otson ◽  
David T Williams ◽  
Peter D Bothwell

Abstract A static headspace technique and previously developed and evaluated dynamic headspace and liquid-liquid extraction techniques were applied in a survey of volatile organic compounds in water at 30 Canadian potable water treatment facilities. Of the 43 compounds investigated, 27 compounds were detected in the water samples. Chloroform and bromodichloromethane occurred most frequently in treated water, and trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, 1,2-dichloroethane, dichloromethane, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and the xylenes occurred frequently in both treated and raw water. Only chloroform occurred frequently at levels above 10 μg/L in treated water. Generally, higher levels of organic compounds were found during August-September than during November-December.


Author(s):  
Kristofer P. Isaacson ◽  
Caitlin R. Proctor ◽  
Q. Erica Wang ◽  
Ethan Y. Edwards ◽  
Yoorae Noh ◽  
...  

Plastic pipes are susceptible to thermal degradation which can produce volatile organic compounds such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene that leach into drinking water.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 1193-1201
Author(s):  
Khomotso Semenya ◽  
Fannie Machete

Abstract This paper presents the extent to which kitchen structures influence household exposure to firewood-induced volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The sample consisted of 69 firewood users who were conveniently sampled from Senwabarwana Villages. An Integrated Environmental Health Risk Assessment framework (IEHRA) was adopted as the research methods of the current study. The VOC samples were collected from selected priority firewood species used in the study area, namely mushu (Umbrella thorn), mohwelere (red bushwillow), moretshe (Sickle bush), motswiri (Leadwood) and mokgwa (Black monkey thorn). Four VOCs, namely benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene were analysed from each of the selected plant species. Available literature shows that these VOCs are associated with the kind of common firewood used in the study area. The outcomes of this study reveal that mushu emits the highest concentration of the four selected VOCs, followed by moretshe, mohwelere, mokgwa and motswiri, respectively. The influence of kitchen structural factors such as number and positioning of windows, fireplace or stove type, roofing material and designs, among others on the concentration and indoor dispersion of VOCs was also investigated. Behavioural practices of households during fire making such as opening or closing of doors and windows during cooking, water heating and space heating were also found to influence exposure levels. Consequently, low VOCs emitting firewood species and kitchen structural designs have been confirmed as the key drivers of firewood-induced VOC exposure.


2014 ◽  
Vol 77 (22-24) ◽  
pp. 1502-1521 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seong Kwang Lim ◽  
Han Seung Shin ◽  
Kyung Sil Yoon ◽  
Seung Jun Kwack ◽  
Yoon Mi Um ◽  
...  

2009 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 17297-17333 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Langford ◽  
E. Nemitz ◽  
E. House ◽  
G. J. Phillips ◽  
D. Famulari ◽  
...  

Abstract. Concentrations and fluxes of eight volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were measured during October 2006 from a high telecom tower above central London, as part of the CityFlux contribution to the REPARTEE I campaign. A continuous flow disjunct eddy covariance technique with analysis by proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry was used. Daily averaged VOC mixing ratios were within the range 1–19 ppb for the oxygenated compounds (methanol, acetaldehyde and acetone) and 0.2–1.3 ppb for the aromatics (benzene, toluene and ethylbenzene). Typical VOC fluxes were in the range 0.1–1.0 mg m−2 h−1. There was a non-linear relationship between VOC fluxes and traffic density for most of the measured compounds. Traffic activity was estimated to account for approximately 70% of the aromatic compound fluxes, whereas non-traffic related sources were found to be more important for methanol and isoprene fluxes. The measured fluxes were comparable to the estimates of the UK national atmospheric emission inventory for the aromatic VOCs and CO. In contrast, fluxes of the oxygenated compounds were about three times larger than inventory estimates. For isoprene and acetonitrile this difference was many times larger. At temperatures over 25°C it is estimated that more than half the isoprene observed in central London is of biogenic origin.


Author(s):  
Lyazzat Serik ◽  
Olga Ibragimova ◽  
Gulim Ussenova ◽  
Nassiba Baimatova

The pollution of ambient air is one of the main sources of risk to human health in the world. There is a direct relationship between the level of air pollution and risk of the development of cancer, cardiovascular, respiratory and other diseases. Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and o-xylene (BTEX) are one of the most toxic volatile organic compounds. The aim of this study was to quantify BTEX in air of Taldykorgan, Kazakhstan using solid-phase microextraction followed by gas chromatography with mass-spectrometric detection. In different sampling seasons, average concentrations of four BTEX analytes varied from 7.5 to 27 µg/m3, from 15 to 250 µg/m3, from 2.4 to 12.8 µg/m3 and from 2.6 to 21 µg/m3, respectively. The highest concentrations of TEX were detected in autumn, while the highest concentrations of benzene were observed in winter. Toluene-to-benzene ratios in almost all measurements were above 1 indicating that the traffic emissions are the main source of air pollution with BTEX.


1996 ◽  
Vol 33 (12) ◽  
pp. 273-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Suschka ◽  
Bozena Mrowiec ◽  
Grazyna Kuszmider

Volatile organic compounds have been measured at two relatively large sewage treatment plants. Quantitative estimation of benzene, toluene, m.p-xylene, o-xylene and isopropylbenzene have been made for raw sewage, sewage after primary treatment and after biological treatment. Also measurements of 14 different volatile organic compounds in the ambient air, close to screens, and the air above (0.5 m above) aeration tanks have been done. Tests on air stripping of added volatile organic compounds to clean water have been performed in parallel in the laboratory. The removal of examined VOCs in full scale treatment plants was very much below the expected level. In the low loaded activated sludge process the removal was between 2 and 56%, depending on the compound considered. The behavior of volatile organic compounds in laboratory tests was very much different. The concentration of VOCs in the air of rooms where bar racks have been installed was found to be very high. The concentration of toluene in the ambient air could be as high as 460 μg/m3.


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