The research objective was to calibrate a model to simulate odour dispersion downwind from natural windbreaks and then, use this model to observe the effect of windbreak characteristics and climatic conditions on the size of the odour dispersion plume. Computational fluid dynamic (CFD) models were used for the simulations because of their capability in reproducing turbulent wind conditions. The model was initially calibrated to ensure the proper velocity recovery ratio (VRR), and then to reproduce odour plumes measured in the field by three groups of four panellists. / The visual and statistical analysis of the field panellist observations indicated that a windbreak with an optical porosity of 0.35 could reduce by 21% the length of the odour dispersion plume, as compared to a site without a windbreak. Also, these analyses indicated that the site with a windbreak offering an optical porosity of 0.55 had no significant impact on the length of the odour plume, as compared to the site without a windbreak. / The models selected for the simulations were the Fluent 6.2 standard k-epsilon and SST k-o models. Their odour dispersion calibration indicated that both models can accurately reproduce the field measured odour hedonic tone and odour concentration by transforming the odour mass fraction computed by the models into the hedonic tone with a power function, and then into the odour concentration with an exponential function. The correlations between the simulated and measured absolute HT and between the simulated and measured odour concentrations were statistically significant (P < 0.01). However, the SST k-o was preferred over the standard k-epsilon because it could physically better reproduce the high turbulence conditions created by the windbreak. / The SST k-o model simulations indicated that odour plume length was mostly affected by windbreak porosity and height, as well as distance from the source. In terms of climatic conditions, odour plume size was mostly affected for atmospheric stability conditions which generally established ambient wind speed and rate of change of temperature. Wind direction has an impact on the length of the odour plume and the formation of a fin intensifying odour concentration near the windbreak, where an angle of 45º produces the shortest odour plume and the largest fin. / Key words: Simulation; odour; dispersion; natural Windbreak; CFD.

No description available.

published_or_final_version / Environmental Management / Master / Master of Science in Environmental Management

published_or_final_version / Environmental Management / Master / Master of Science in Environmental Management

Fumes emitted from coffee bean roasters contain various chemicals such as aldehydes, pyridine, volatile fatty acids, and ketones. These chemicals have high odor intensities and are sensitive to human breathing organs and eyes. In Taiwan, most of these fumes are not well controlled before venting to the atmosphere. This research attempted to eliminate these odorous and offensive chemicals by chemical scrubbing methods. Sodium hypochlorite oxidation followed by hydrogen peroxide reduction (hypochlorite-peroxide) was investigated first. After that, ozone oxidation followed by hydrogen peroxide reduction (ozone-peroxide) was also tried. In both methods, hydrogen peroxide acted as a reducing agent for the elimination of either residual chlorine or ozone emitted from the oxidation reaction. Experimental results indicated that both methods were effective. An oxidative scrubbing liquid with an initial effective chlorine content of 200 mg/L and a pH of 12, and an reducing scrubbing liquid with an initial hydrogen peroxide concentration of 1% and a pH of 12 could remove an average of 85% of total hydrogen carbons (THC) in the fume gas from a coffee bean roaster. With a dose of 10 ppm ozone in the fume gas to the oxidative scrubbing liquid (water only) followed by an reducing scrubbing liquid with an initial hydrogen peroxide concentration of 0.3% and a pH of 12, an average removal of 80% of the THC could be removed. An odor intensity (expressed by the dilution to threshold ratio) of 9,772 in the original fume could be reduced to as low as 31 by both methods. As indicated by the data from GC/MS (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry) analysis for the hypochlorite-peroxide method, acrolein, vinyl acetate, 2-butanone, and acetone in the roaster fume could almost completely be eliminated. Traces of chlorinated hydrocarbons as potential secondary pollutants were detected in the treated gases from the hypochlorite-peroxide scrubbing system. While by the ozone-peroxide one, satisfactory results were also obtained with no chlorinated hydrocarbons emitted. An economical analysis shows that the ozone-peroxide approach is a practical one for actual control applications.

With the increases of environmental awareness and attention by the government and audiences, people begin to prosecute the pollution makers instead of tolerance. This study tried to control an air pollution source from a wallpaper plant for the purpose of attenuating odor prosecutes by residents near the plant. This study investigated chemical scrubbing, ozonation followed by GAC (Granular Activated Carbon) adsorption and biotrickling filtration techniques as control methods for eliminating odorous compounds from a waste gas stream emitted from the wallpaper plant. Scrubbing test results indicate that with an oxidative solution of 800 mg/L residual chlorine at pH 7.0 and a reductive solution of 0.2% hydrogen peroxide at pH = 12, around 90% of the VOCs (volatile organic compounds) in the tested gas could be removed. Odor intensities could be reduced from 2,317 (expressed as dilutions to threshold) to 130. Results also indicate that around 85 % of the carbonyl compounds, 41% of the alkenes and 22% of the alkanes in the waste gas could be eliminated. No removal of aromatic and halo-hydrocarbons was observed. It requires around NT$70 for chemicals to treat 1000 m3 of the gas. Ozonation-GAC adsorption tests indicate that with an ozone dosage of 5 ppm in the waste gas and a gas-ozone contact time of 12 s followed by GAC adsorption, around 95% of the VOCs in the tested gas could be removed. Odor intensities were reduced from 2,317 to <55. Around 94 % of the carbonyl compounds, 79% of the alkanes, 76% of halo-hydrocarbons, 41% of the alkenes and 20% of aromatics in the waste gas could be removed. Around NT$ 15,700 for ozone and GAC is required to treat 1000m3 of the gas. Results from biotrickling filtration tests indicate that with the supplementations of nitrogen and phosphorous nutrients to biofilms attached to wood-chip packings, around 83% of the influent VOCs could be biodegraded. Odor intensities could be reduced from 1,737 to <55. Around 61 % of the carbonyl compounds, 67% of the alkanes, 18% of halo-hydrocarbons and 33% of aromatics in the waste gas could be removed. Around NT$ 13 is required to treat 1000m3 of the gas. For an actual application, it is suggested that a process that a combination of chemical scrubbing and ozonation-GAC adsorption may be a proper solution to the control of the odorous emission from the plant. Biotrickling filtration can be best after verifying the performances of the technique by a pilot test.

It has been confirmed that vented gases from swine manure compositing operations contain biodegradable ammonia and amines as main odorous compounds. The thesis focuses on the odor-removal performance from the gases by sparging them into an activated sludge aeration liquor in which the odorous compounds can be absorbed and biodegraded. An acrylic column (0.20 m i.d.¡Ñ1.2 mH) was used as the activated sludge aeration tank and a wooden case (1.0 mL¡Ñ0.6 mW¡Ñ0.6 mH) as a swine manure compositing tank. Seed sludge for the odor removal experiments was obtained from a swinery wastewater plant located at southern Taiwan. Both swine manure from the swinery and a pre-fermented composite sample obtained from a compositing plant located at East-southern Ping-Dong County were used for the odorous gas generation. Experiments were conducted at mixed liquor suspended solid (MLSS) concentrations of 2,250-2,750 mg/L, liquid pH of 6.4-6.6, and aeration intensities of 0.1-0.5 m3/m3.min. Results show that the experimental removal efficiencies for both ammonia and amines with, respectively, 18-50 and 180-250 ppm in the influent gas were greater than 80% with aerated activated sludge liquid depths of greater than 0.60 m within the tested aeration intensities. Keeping the activated sludge at around 25oC favored the biodegradation of the absorbed ammonia and amines and resulted in the removal of the compounds to around 85-95%. Temperatures of lower than 15oC shifted the removal to as low as 50-60% because of the limitations in both the biological growth and activity. Results from the study confirm that the activated sludge bioscrubbing approach should be applicable to odor control for the compositing plants.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Mississippi State University. Department of Civil Engineering. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

A race track type oxidation ditch with a disc aerator was constructed on a model scale. Tests were conducted in deionized water to study the effect of some disc design parameters and system operating parameters on the oxygen transfer rate was affected by the disc speed, disc thickness, hole diameter, immersion depth and number of discs operated in parallel. / The effect of the manure concentration on the microbial growth was investigated in a batch culture operation. High manure concentration had an inhibitory effect on the microbial growth. / Data from batch culture operation were used to design a continuous culture operation. The latter was used to evaluate the concept of minimal aeration of swine manure for odor control. The effluent quality (as measured by odor level and the concentrations of COD, nitrogenous componds and solids) was dependent on the initial manure concentration and on the retention time. The effluent from the ditch was free of offensive odor and can be spread on land without causing odor pollution problem.

Liquid hog manure (LHM) obtained from the Macdonald College farm was used in experiments aimed at (a) reducing the odor associated with LHM during handling and (b) conserving the fertilizer capacity of LHM. Various chemical treatments and sphagnum moss (SM) were evaluated to achieve the above objectives. Direct acidification to $<$ pH 5.0, sphagnum moss (SM) and its combination with aluminum sulfate (AS) resulted in significant (p $<$ 0.05) reduction in ammonia losses during storage of LHM. The SM and SM/AS combination also significantly (p $<$ 0.05) reduced both odor presence and offensiveness. Gas chromatographic (GC) and GC/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis indicated the absence of certain malodor compounds and lower peak areas of certain compounds in the SM and SM/AS treatments when compared to the controls. Investigations with barley seeding revealed that treatments which reduced the malodor of the LHM did not significantly (p $<$ 0.05) affect the nitrogen fertilization capacity of the LHM, as indicated by plant dry matter yield.