title: The impact of information on perceived air quality--'organic' vs. 'synthetic' building materials.
abstract: As indoor air quality complaints cannot be explained satisfactorily and building materials can be a major source of indoor air pollution, we hypothesized that emissions from building materials perceived as unfamiliar or annoying odors may contribute to such complaints. To test this hypothesis, emissions from indoor building materials containing linseed oil (organic) and comparable synthetic (synthetic) materials were evaluated by a naïve sensory panel for evaluation of odor intensity (OI) and odor acceptability (OA). The building materials were concealed in ventilated climate chambers of the CLIMPAQ type. When information was provided about the identity and type of building material during the evaluation, i.e. by labeling the materials in test chambers either as 'organic' or 'synthetic', the OI was significantly lower for all the 'organic' materials compared with evaluations without information. Similarly, OA was increased significantly for most 'organic' samples, but not the 'synthetic' ones. The major effect is probably that OA is increased when the panel is given information about the odor source.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As providing information about the source of odors can increase their acceptability, complaints about indoor air quality may be decreased if occupants of buildings are well informed about odorous emissions from the new building materials or new activities in their indoor environment.
authors: National Institute of Occupational Health, Indoor Environment Group, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Wilkins
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Wolkoff
authors: H N
authors: HN
authors: Knudsen
authors: P A
authors: PA
authors: Clausen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000393:Air Pollutants; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor; D003252:Construction Materials; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008043:Linseed Oil; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009812:Odorants; D010150:Paint; D010465:Perception; D011143:Polyvinyl Chloride
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D008043:Linseed Oil; D011143:Polyvinyl Chloride