MASK SCENTOMETER FOR ASSESSING AMBIENT ODORS

作者：Henry C G^*; Meyer G E; Schulte D D; Stowell R R; Parkhurst A M; Sheffield R E

来源：Transactions of the ASABE, 2011, 54(2): 609-615.

• Ambient odor assessment
• Ambient odor measurement
• Field olfactometer
• Mask scentometer

This article summarizes the development and operation of a mask scentometer and reports air dilution ratios measured during its use, which were used to establish the device's dilution-to-threshold settings. The mask scentometer is a facial respirator that has been modified to operate conceptually like the Barneby and Sutcliffe box scentometer. The mask scentometer is comprised of a half-face respirator with two modified, spin-on cartridges, one per side, which facilitate the mixing of ambient air with filtered air for presentation to an odor assessor at user-selected dilution ratios. The clean air cartridge includes an activated carbon filter canister with two 112 in. (13 mm) orifices for metering clean air into the mask chamber. The ambient air cartridge includes an adjustable dial with five different orifices for metering unfiltered ambient air into the mask for a range of flow rates. Prior to this study, the dilution ratios of air presented to an assessor using the mask scentometer were assumed to be the same as the dilution-to-threshold settings of the Barneby and Sutcliffe box scentometer, i.e., 170, 31, 15, 7, and 2 volumes of clean air per volume of ambient air In a controlled laboratory environment, airflow rates were measured through both cartridges of a mask scentometer using a pressure transducer while twelve different assessors used the device. The flow-weighted average dilution ratios produced within the mask scentometer were 18, 4.5, 2, 1, and 0.35. Investigators using the mask scentometer to measure ambient odor concentrations are advised to use these dilution-to-threshold values.

• 出版日期2011-4