At the ninth IWA Odour & VOC/Air Emission Conference on odor and volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions, FACSA presented its latest advances in the field through three studies on odor and VOC dispersion in wastewater treatment plants.
FACSA's R&D team has shared with attendees its commitment to evaluating, innovating, and modeling emissions at its facilities. This work aims to reduce emissions and explain the source of air pollution to the public. This issue is a focus of attention for wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) managers in Spain, who are observing how the constant population growth is causing plants built on the outskirts of cities to be gradually absorbed by metropolitan and industrial areas, with the associated problems.
In this regard, a crucial aspect of controlling these types of atmospheric emissions is the monitoring and characterization of the emission sources. In this respect, FACSA has presented the results of its work focused on monitoring odor compounds using the Vigi eNose system (Chromatotec, France). This equipment continuously analyzes odor and VOC concentrations at five emission sources and one additional point within a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). In an initial study, this equipment proved to be highly sensitive, producing results equivalent to other analytical methods and identifying the most relevant compounds in the odor emissions from this WWTP.
On the other hand, air pollutant dispersion modeling is currently a recognized technological resource for better understanding the range of impact generated by odor compounds emitted from wastewater treatment plants. These tools must be fed with high-quality meteorological data and information on the emission sources. Therefore, in a second study, the CALPUFF dispersion prediction model and the WRF-ARW meteorological research and prediction system were coupled to the previously mentioned Vigi eNose system. The integration of the analytical results from the Vigi eNose equipment into the WRF-CALPUFF dispersion system has not only allowed for the implementation of a near real-time odor dispersion modeling system but has also improved odor dispersion predictions.
Regarding odor dispersion models such as CALPUFF, a third study was presented, developing a new odor measurement methodology using scenario analysis. To achieve this, emissions from different process units of the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) were characterized independently. Furthermore, emissions from the primary clarifiers were differentiated based on their surface and perimeter channels. This data was then fed into the CALPUFF model, and various scenarios were simulated with different corrective measures applied to the emission sources. The results of these scenarios allow for the quantification of odor reductions achieved based on the corrective measures implemented in each scenario.
It is worth noting that all of FACSA's odor dispersion solutions are based on Waternology technology, the brand under which the company brings together all the technological potential it applies to the intelligent management of the entire water cycle. Specifically, these solutions are offered within the Waternology Smart module, which incorporates technologies based on Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things, Big Data, and geospatial analytics.
