Tale of Two Isomers: Complexities of Human Odor Perception for cis- and trans-4-Methylcyclohexane Methanol from the Chemical Spill in West Virginia

详细信息    查看全文

• 作者：Daniel L. Gallagher ; Katherine Phetxumphou ; Elizabeth Smiley ; Andrea M. Dietrich
• 刊名：Environmental Science & Technology
• 出版年：2015
• 出版时间：February 3, 2015
• 年：2015
• 卷：49
• 期：3
• 页码：1319-1327
• 全文大小：391K
• ISSN：1520-5851

文摘

Application of gas chromatography with mass spectrometric and human olfactory 鈥渟niffer鈥?detectors reveals the nature of odorous chemicals from an industrial chemical spill. Crude 4-methylcyclohexane methanol (4-MCHM) spilled in a river and then contaminated drinking water and air for over 300000 consumers living in West Virginia. Olfactory gas chromatography allows investigators to independently measure the odor of chemical components in a mixture. Crude 4-MCHM is comprised of several major cyclohexane components, four of which have distinct isomer pairs. The cis- and trans-4-MCHM isomers are the only components to have distinct odors at the concentrations used in this study. The trans-4-MCHM is the dominant odorant with descriptors of 鈥渓icorice鈥?and 鈥渟weet鈥? Trans-4-MCHM has an air odor threshold concentration of 0.060 ppb-v (95% CI: 0.040鈥?.091). The odor threshold concentrations are not influenced by gender or age but are lower by a factor of 5 for individuals with prior exposure compared to na茂ve subjects. Individual trans-4-MCHM odor threshold concentrations vary by more than a factor of 100. The cis-4-MCHM isomer has approximately a 2000-fold higher odor threshold concentration, different descriptors, and an even wider individual response range.