Comparison of some porous polymers as adsorbents for collection of odour samples and the application of the technique to an environmental malodour

A range of Chromosorbs and Tenax-GC have been compared with regard to their efficiency as adsorbents for volatile odorous compounds using a very simple model system. When desorption was accomplished by solvent elution using acetone, Chromosorb 103 provided the best recoveries of those investigated (between 90 and 95%). In situations where thermal lability of trapped compounds is not a problem, use of Tenax-GC and thermal desorption at about 250 °C would be recommended on the basis of this survey, during which this approach consistently provided recoveries greater than 96% from small sample volumes. The latter procedure was applied to the analysis of an industrial malodour from an animal rendering factory, and using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry over 35 compounds (92% of the total odour sample) were positively identified. In particular, a range of alkylthiophenes may be characteristic of this particular odour.