Ventilation and body odor.

A total of 200 experiments on evaluation of body odour were performed in two identical auditoria at the Technical University of Denmark at ventilation rates of 0.4-26 l/s/person, with an air space per occupant of 4-21 m3 and with air temperatures of 17-26 deg C. Ten minutes before the end of each 35 minute lecture period 10 judges entered the space and were questioned concerning their acceptance of body odour. They were also asked to evaluate the odour intensity on a fixed scale. Conclusions were that the carbon dioxide concentration may be used as an index of body odour intensity, that a relationship between percentage of dissatisfied visitors and CO2 concentration has been established for sedentary male occupants, and that no significant influence of space volume per occupant on body odour intensity or steady-state ventilation requirement was found.