Sensing of Gaseous Malodors in Landfills and Waste Treatment Plants

We approached the problem of sensing gaseous pollutants and malodors originated from decomposition of organic compounds via chemoresistive gas sensors. A sensor array based on screen-printed films of mixed tin and titanium oxides, mixed tungsten and tin oxides, and zinc oxide has been tested on the main gaseous components of these malodors. N-butanol was also considered as a reference gas in the olfactometric intensity scale. Under proper working conditions the films can sensitively detect such gases either in dry or in wet environments, within the range of concentrations of interest for their monitoring. The array proved to be robust under solicitation by harmful interference gases such as CO, C6H6 e NO2