ANALYSIS Less of a whiff in the air


Italy is keeping its air fresh by using detection systems at treatment plants to measure the odour levels by monitoring volatile organic compounds.


I


talian company, Technologia & Ambiente (T&A) of Bari on the Adriatic coast, provides environmental services including waste management, reclamation of polluted sites and treatment of waste


water and emissions. Its staff of industrial chemists and environmental engineers provide services for complex applications in chemistry and environmental engineering applications. Now, with environmental legislation in


relation to odour management becoming increasingly more stringent, T&A has developed the Online System for Monitoring Odours Treatment Efficiency (OSMOTREFF). When connected to odour treatment plants using physical chemical absorption, such as chemical scrubbing and activated carbon filtration, OSMOTREFF provides on line monitoring of treatment efficiency and can conduct pilot tests on effluent gases to help further improve the process. The odorous compounds contained in


conveyed gaseous flows are difficult to monitor continuously because of the peculiarity of the specific application and the sampling and analysis methods. To overcome this, T&A used Ion Science’s


❱ ❱ VOC detection devices are being used in Italy to detect sources of odour in chemical and waste treatment plants


Falco PID (Photo Ionisation Detector) as a key component in OSMOTREFF to measure volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in both inlet and outlet gas streams that have odour problems. According to T&A’s Roberto Pisconti, many VOCs contained in gas streams


generate odours and, for a given process, in most cases there is a direct correlation between the concentration of VOCs and amount of odorimetric units in accordance with European Standard EN13725, Air quality – determination of odour concentration by dynamic olfactometry. “Once this correlation has been determined, a Falco PID can be useful for easy online monitoring of VOCs and indirectly of odorimetric units on outlet conveyed gas streams,” he says. In Italy, new legislation with specific odour limit thresholds has been introduced making it important for companies to monitor and improve the treatment efficiency of their systems in line with regulatory requirements. The condensation resistant Falco PID is available with different detection ranges with 0-3000 parts per million (ppm) suitable for most petrochemical applications and 0-1000 ppm available for applications in other industries, such as water treatment and utilities management. The pilot testing currently being performed using OSMOTREFF in Italy uses


conveyed gas streams with sampling taking place over periods from two hour to several days, during which T&A has worked with Ion Science on such issues as calibration and training. “We’ve found the Falco to be very easy to use and operate, it’s been excellent in terms of accuracy and reliability. Ion Science was quick to respond when we needed assistance with calibration,” Roberto Pisconti concludes.


28 /// DAQ, Sensors & Instrumentation Vol 2 No. 2 Editorial


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