A method for evaluating the discomfort induced by odor using a biochemical marker

The purpose of this study is to establish a methodology for evaluating the discomfort induced by odors using a biochemical marker such as salivary α-amylase. Odor evaluation device, consisting of an odor presentation dome, three sets of metal oxide semiconductor-type gas sensors, three sets of nebulizers, a hand-held salivary α-amylase activity (sAMY) monitor, a reclining chair, an A/D converter and a personal computer for data collection, was fabricated for the study. The subjects were 12 healthy young male adults (22.3 ± 1.7 years). Ethanol and ammonia were used as olfactory stimuli in order to reproduce the air environment found in a hospitals. For ethanol, no significant difference in sAMY was observed before, during and after inhalations in 1, 10 and 50 ppm. In ammonia, a significant difference in sAMY was observed before, during and after inhalation at 5 ppm. It was demonstrated that the effect of the odor on the sympathetic nervous system could be rapidly and quantitatively evaluated using the sAMY and the odor evaluation device in a laboratory-based investigation.