Characterization of major offensive odorants released from lake sediment

The amount of odorants effused from Lake Sihwa during the low tide period was estimated using sediment samples collected from various sites. A wide variety of odorants released from lake sediment were measured such as reduced sulfur compounds (RSCs), aldehydes, nitrogenous compounds, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and volatile fatty acids (VFAs). A comparison of emission rates (μg m−2 min−1) showed large mean values from such species as NH3 (14,550), toluene (370), and DMS (106), while the lowest values were seen from VFAs and some VOCs. If their emission concentrations are converted into odor intensity (OI), the OI values were dominated by such odorants as NH3 (2.07), H2S (1.65), DMS (1.80), acetaldehyde (1.52), butyric acid (1.59), butyraldehyde (1.28), isovaleric acid (1.15), and valeric acid (0.78). The dilution to threshold (D/T) ratio derived on the basis of the air dilution sensory (ADS) test yielded a mean of 62 (range: 10–173); 19 out of 21 samples were seen to exceed the guideline D/T value of 15. The sum of odor intensities derived from individual odorants exhibited strong compatibilities with the D/T ratio (r2 = 0.87; α = 0.003). The overall results of this study confirm that the sediment can play an important role in the malodor phenomenon in the area surrounding the Lake Sihwa.

Research highlights
► In this study, emission characteristics of odorants released from sediments were evaluated.
► The targets were selected to include VOC, reduced sulfur, aldehyde, acid, and N-compounds.
► The relationship between absolute odorant concentration and their intensities were examined.
► The results will help establish an environmental management scheme for the lake sediments.