No abstract

The “Taste and Odor Wheel” developed over the last 15 years has been updated to include new compounds identified in the eight classes of odorants, four tastes, and one mouth feel/nose feel category. Over the last 10 years, other types of odors have been identified, in addition to chlorinous and ozonous odors of disinfectants, the earthy compound geosmin, and the musty compound 2-methylisoborneol (2-MIB). Sophisticated instrumental analysis, e.g., gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), and sensory analysis, e.g., flavor-profile analysis (FPA), have been successfully combined with sensory GC to identify various odorants.

No abstract

Specific problems encountered during water treatment are known to be a function of the type of macromolecules present. The pyrolysis–GC–MS analytical technique described in this article shows the inadequacy of existing models to accurately reflect the complex mixture that comprises the organic matrix of natural waters. In fact, the highly condensed aromatic cores described by most of these models were determined by the research reported here to be minor constituents.

The aquatic environment can contain numerous micropollutants and there are concerns about endocrine activity in environmental waters and the potential impacts on human and ecosystem health. In this study a complementary chemical analysis and in vitro bioassay approach was applied to evaluate endocrine activity in treated wastewater, surface water and drinking water samples from six countries (Germany, Australia, France, South Africa, the Netherlands and Spain). The bioassay test battery included assays indicative of seven endocrine pathways, while 58 different chemicals, including pesticides, pharmaceuticals and industrial compounds, were analysed by targeted chemical analysis. Endocrine activity was below the limit of quantification for most water samples, with only two of six treated wastewater samples and two of six surface water samples exhibiting estrogenic, glucocorticoid, progestagenic and/or anti-mineralocorticoid activity above the limit of quantification. Based on available effect-based trigger values (EBT) for estrogenic and glucocorticoid activity, some of the wastewater and surface water samples were found to exceed the EBT, suggesting these environmental waters may pose a potential risk to ecosystem health. In contrast, the lack of bioassay activity and low detected chemical concentrations in the drinking water samples do not suggest a risk to human endocrine health, with all samples below the relevant EBTs.