Assessment methodology for volatile organic compounds from leachate treatment and other waste handling activities

Abstract

Volatile organic compounds (VOC) are typically defined as those predominantly present
in the vapour phase in air at ambient temperature, They range in volatility from methane
to n-e 16 above and include all chemical groups - alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, esters,
glycol ethers, halogens and hydrocarbons, Many of the voes are produced and emitted
when organic matter decomposes from microbiological activity, A great number of
volatile compounds been identified in the air in the vicinity of landfills, voes emitted
from landfills pose as health concern and odour annoyance for the neighbourhood, High
concentrations of voes have also been identified in the working environments at waste
handling facilities, Emissions of volatile organics from leachate, and how the treatment
system affects the fate of the voes have been reported, A variety of different sampling
strategies and sampling media can be used to address different monitoring requirements,
including adsorption tubes and impingers with a suitable absorption solution, Final
analysis of voes can be performed with a combination of thermodesorption of
adsorption tubes and Ge-MS, Model studies of the emission of voes from the water
surface, at the actual site in ponds or in the laboratory, can be performed in order to
facilitate budget calculations using a special designed hood, Results from analysis of
leachate before and after treatment procedures, using purge and trap methodology, shows
how some identified voes such as for example benzene, toluene, xylen and trimethylbenzene are to some extent removed from the liquid,