Determination of reduced sulfur compounds in air samples for the monitoring of malodor caused by landfills

Abstract

[EN] A reliable method to det. odorous reduced S compds. (RSC) in air was developed. This method uses an activated coconut solid-phase sorbent for active sampling, hexane as desorption solvent, and gas chromatog./mass spectrometry (GC/MS) for specific and sensitive sepn.-detection. Analyzed compds. were H2S, Et mercaptan, di-Me sulfide, CS2, Bu mercaptan, di-Me disulfide. Recovery efficiency was 75-97%; no detectable losses were obsd. during storage at -20°. Satisfactory anal. parameters were reported: good linearity (r2 >0.98), low detection limits (0.6-59 pg/m3), adequate repeatability (9%) and reproducibility (17%), and fast GC/MS anal. (<6.5 min). Accurate detn. of RSC, free from atm. component interferences (e.g., O3 or water) was demonstrated. The method analyzed the compn. of environmental air near 3 landfills accepting urban and industrial solid wastes. Results indicated H2S and Et mercaptan were the main mols. responsible of odor phenomena in the study areas.