Rm. Stuetz et al., Assessment of odours from sewage treatment works by an electronic nose, H2S analysis and olfactometry, WATER RES, 33(2), 1999, pp. 453-461
An electronic nose based on a non-specific conducting polymer array was eva
luated against sewage odour concentrations From ten sewage treatment works.
Sensor responses from the twelve sensor array were compared using canonica
l correlation (a data reduction technique) with threshold odour numbers (TO
N) made by dynamic dilution olfactometry. The results suggest that for sewa
ge odours from a range of locations within different treatment works, no un
iversal relationship is present, whereas a strong correlation can be produc
ed between TON and the electronic nose responses (as represented by a canon
ical variable) for sewage odours from a single works. Further correlations
were achieved between the odour potential of a liquid sewage and the NOSE o
utput of a quiescent sewage liquor. Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) concentrations,
commonly used as measures of odour strength, were also compared with TON a
nd found not to be a good marker compound for measuring these sewage odour
concentrations. The results demonstrated the ability of an electronic nose
to respond to sewage odours over a range of odour concentrations (125-78106
6 odour units/m(3)) and suggest the potential application of such an instru
ment to monitor odour emission;in a sewage works, as well as assessing the
efficiency of odour abatement units. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rig
hts reserved.