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Real-time In Vitro Monitoring of Odorant Receptor Activation by an Odorant in the Vapor Phase
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Estimating Exposure Intensity Based on Odor.

Mark Nicas1, John Neuhaus2

  • 1School of Public Health, Environmental Health Sciences Division, Room 50 University Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-7360, USA.

Annals of Work Exposures and Health
|October 31, 2021
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study presents a method to estimate chemical exposure levels based on odor detection by a group. It demonstrates that odor detection is an unreliable indicator for airborne benzene exposure.

Keywords:
benzene odor thresholdestimating exposureodor detectionodor threshold

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Area of Science:

  • Environmental Science
  • Occupational Health
  • Toxicology

Background:

  • Odor detection thresholds vary significantly within populations, often following a lognormal distribution.
  • Estimating chemical exposure intensity retrospectively can be achieved by analyzing odor detection data.
  • This method is applicable to single exposure periods with a single airborne contaminant.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a statistical method for estimating airborne chemical concentrations based on odor detection.
  • To provide a framework for calculating confidence intervals for these exposure estimates.
  • To assess the adequacy of odor as a warning property for airborne benzene.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing the proportion of individuals detecting an odor (k out of n) to estimate the chemical's concentration as the corresponding fractile of its odor detection threshold distribution.
  • Calculating exact confidence bounds without normal distribution assumptions for small sample sizes or extreme proportions.
  • Employing a parametric bootstrap procedure to incorporate uncertainty in odor detection threshold distribution parameters.

Main Results:

  • The method was illustrated using benzene, with estimated population parameters: geometric mean of 37.8 ppm and geometric standard deviation of 1.92.
  • In a hypothetical scenario with 2 out of 6 workers detecting benzene odor, the estimated exposure was 28.5 ppm, with a 95% lower confidence limit of 8.2 ppm.
  • Benzene odor was found to be an inadequate warning for excessive airborne concentrations.

Conclusions:

  • The developed method provides a quantitative approach to estimate chemical exposure from odor detection data.
  • Statistical confidence intervals can be reliably calculated, accounting for sample size and parameter uncertainty.
  • Odor detection is not a sufficient safety measure for airborne benzene, highlighting the need for objective monitoring.