Odor-associated health complaints: Competing explanatory models

Physical symptoms may be reported in workplace and community settings in wh ich odorous airborne chemicals are present. Despite the relative frequency of such reports, clinicians, public health authorities and sensory scientis ts often experience difficulty interpreting odor-associated symptoms. The a pproach to interpretation advocated in this review involves: (i) under stan ding the toxicology of the agent(s) involved tin particular their relative irritant and odorant potencies); (ii) assessing exposure parameters (i.e. c oncentration and duration). Depending upon exposure concentration, duration and relative irritant and odorant potencies, a variety of pathophysioiogic al mechanisms may be invoked in explaining odor-associated health symptoms. Some of these imputed mechanisms fall under the traditional scope of toxic ology and others involve attitudinal and/or behavioral responses to odors.