においの強度と濃度の間の相関に関する考察(第7報) : 嗅覚強度に与える浮遊粉塵の影響

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to acquire certain knowledge about the influence of suspended dust upon the odor intensity of an odorous air. With the end in view, we have supposed an air charged with one kind of odorant (molar weight 100) at the concentration of 1 ppb and one kind of dust (particle diameter 5μm) at the concentration of 0.2mg/m^3,and we have calculated the amount of odorant adsorbed on the dust; based on the result, we have estimated the odor intensity of the air, taking into consideration the effective concentration of odorant obtained by averaging over adsorbed as well as non-adsorbed states, the kinetic behavior of odorant-bearing dust-particles against the surface of olfactory organ, or the like. The findings are such that (1) it seems that the odor intensity is, in general, practically the same in both the absence and presence of dust, and further, (2) there is some possibility that the intensity becomes enhanced when a dust-containing air is inhaled vigorously, sniffed consciously and so on; the two findings should be regarded to be of limited applicability, and thus, to amplify them, it might be necessary to examine the other cases under various conditions. Lastly, reference is made to the fact that, with a mixture of odors, it is hardly feasible to look into the influence of dust on account of lack of the information concerning adsorption of odorants.