Analysis of indoor air acceptability data from a public buildings ventilation study.

Data collected in a LBL study on ventilation in four public buildings includes sensory evaluations of indoor environment and of physical and chemical properties of indoor air. Analyzes database to establish how the indoor odour acceptability criterion (acceptability by 80% of individuals entering theoccupied space) depends on other qualities of the indoor air. Finds that the staleness freshness rating correlates to the odour acceptability better than odour intensity alone. At low concentrations formaldehyde or aldehydes increase odour intensity but also improve odour acceptability. All these observations point toward the possible importance of odour character, not measured in the ventilation study in determining odour acceptability.