Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Emergence And Fate Of Siloxanes In Waste Streams: Release Mechanisms, Partitioning And Persistence In Three Environmental Compartments, Sharon C. Surita

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Siloxanes are widely used in personal care and industrial products due to their low surface tension, thermal stability, antimicrobial and hydrophobic properties, among other characteristics. Volatile methyl siloxanes (VMS) have been detected both in landfill gas and biogas from anaerobic digesters at wastewater treatment plants. As a result, they are released to gas phase during waste decomposition and wastewater treatment. During transformation processes of digester or landfill gas to energy, siloxanes are converted to silicon oxides, leaving abrasive deposits on engine components. These deposits cause increased maintenance costs and in some cases complete engine overhauls become necessary.

The objectives of …