Estimation of odour intensity of indoor air pollutants from building materials with a multi-gas sensor system

This study shows an approach to estimate odour intensity in an indoor environment with a multi-gas sensor system. The sensor system uses 38 non-specific gas sensors, each of which responds to a wide range of different volatile compounds. Due to the complexity of indoor air pollution, the study focuses on emissions of building products as one of the major contributors to indoor air quality. The system has been calibrated and tested, combining measurements from gas sensor systems and assessments of odour intensity by a human panel. To find a relation between the sensor signal and the odour intensity, a data processing model has been developed comprising a classification and a class-specific regression method. The model is able to map the odour intensity to the sensor signal pattern in order to predict the odour intensity caused by the investigated building products. Investigations with varying relative humidity have shown a significant influence by the humidity level, which will be considered for future measurements.