Have you ever wondered about the mysterious smells surrounding us in indoor spaces? From the pleasant fragrance of freshly baked goods to the unpleasant stench of certain chemicals, odours play a significant role in our perception of indoor air quality. The German Committee on Indoor Guide Values (AIR) of the Ministry of Environment of Germany has delved into the science behind these odours and has published a final report on Odour perception thresholds for 20 Indoor pollutants in July.
The ambitious project encompassed the evaluation of odour detection thresholds, odour intensities, and hedonic tone for 20 chosen substances present in ambient air. The substances ranged from familiar ones like acetone and acetic acid to less common compounds such as benzothiazole and ε-caprolactam. The idea was to gather more information to determine health risks of these substances.
