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EFFECTS IN HUMANS OF A VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUND MIXTURE: SENSORY
Citation:
Hudnell, K., D. Otto, D. House, AND L. Molhave. EFFECTS IN HUMANS OF A VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUND MIXTURE: SENSORY. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/J-92/118 (NTIS PB92164888).
Description:
Time-course actions for symptoms of the sick building syndrome were derived from 66 healthy males exposed to clean air and a volatile organic (VOC) mixture in separate sessions. he mixture contained 22 VOCs (25 mg/m3 total concentration) commonly found air-borne in new or recently renovated buildings. ubjects rated the intensity of perceived irritation, odor and other variables before and during 2.75 hr exposure periods. ye and throat irritation, headache and drowsiness increased or showed no evidence of adaptation during exposure, whereas odor intensity adapted by 3O%. hese results indicate that irritation intensity and other symptoms are not related in any simple fashion to odor intensity, suggesting that the symptoms may not be a psychosomatic response to detection of an aversive odor. nstead, subthreshold levels of VOCs may interact additively or hyperadditively and stimulate trigeminal nerve receptors.