Part B: Advances in gas emission control techniques for anaerobic-based STPs Technical Note 8 – Emission and mathematical models of dispersion of odorants gases generated in the STPs

Abstract

Companies related to environmental sanitation, such as sewage treatment plants (STP), especially those based on anaerobic effluent treatment, are faced with the need to evaluate their odorous gaseous emissions, aiming to reduce any impacts on the environment and on the surrounding community, since odorant gases emission has a real impact on people and their well-being, in addition to being one of the main reasons related to complaints and nuisance around the STP. In this context, this Technical Note discusses: (i) the application of the dynamic flux chamber for the direct measurement of volatile gas in units that have quiescent liquid surfaces (low degree of agitation); (ii) the use of algebraic mathematical models to estimate the emission rate of odorants gases in the units of a STP; and (iii) the use of dispersion models as tools to evaluate the concentration of pollutants after their emission. The required input data from each model is highlighted as well as the limitations of each process.