| Abstract: | Volatile compounds from biodegradable household waste and infected building materials have been studied by dynamic or equilibrium headspace sampling and concentration on Tenax TA followed by thermal desorption and HRGC-MS. Equilibrium headspace sampling was also used to study vegetables stored for 14–18 days at ambient temperature. Over 200 compounds were tentatively identified. The concentration of organic sulfur compounds from garden waste was high enough to contribute to respiratory problems of waste handling personnel. Nitriles, alkyl nitro compounds, and alkyl nitrates were isolated from radish and carrot samples at low concentrations (10–50 ppb). Air monitoring in waste handling working environments may be required to ensure the safety of personnel. Branched aliphatic aldehydes, carboxylic acids, esters, and 2-alkanones were found in the headspace of the infected building materials, indicating that volatile compounds may be useful for detection of microbial growth in buildings. |
