Free Access
Issue
Analusis
Volume 28, Number 2, March 2000
New trends in material science
Page(s) 163 - 167
Section Original articles
DOI https://doi.org/10.1051/analusis:2000111
Analusis 28, 163-167 (2000)
DOI: 10.1051/analusis:2000111

Simple analysis of odorous fatty acids in distillery effluents by capillary electrophoresis

V. Desauziers, M. Avezac and J.L. Fanlo

Laboratoire Génie de l'Environnement Industriel, école des Mines d'Alès, 6, avenue de Clavières, 30319 Alès Cedex, France


(Received October 1, 1999; revised February 11, 2000; accepted February 11, 2000.)

Abstract
The separation of short-chain carboxylic acids using capillary electrophoresis was already presented in several previous studies. As this method appears as a simple and fast alternative to more classical chromatographic approaches, this paper describes its application to the analysis of malodorous fatty acids in distillery effluents. The operating conditions were modified in order to improve the sensitivity. A 100 $\mu$m ID capillary combined with injection by electromigration led to detection limits in aqueous samples from 10 to 45 $\mu$g.L-1. The ability of this method to analyse air samples was also examined. The detection limits obtained are in the order of $\mu$g.m-3. This methodology was then applied to monitor the olfactory pollution of a distillery. The results obtained enabled a modification of the process to be proposed in order to reduce the malodorous emissions.


Key words: Short-chain fatty acids -- capillary electrophoresis -- distillery effluents.


© EDP Sciences, Wiley-VCH 2000