THE IMPORTANCE OF METHODOLOGY IN ODOR INVESTIGATION

摘要

A comparison of two odor investigations is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of following a standard investigation protocol. The first case study involves occupants of a renovated office reporting a noxious odor resulting in symptoms of asthma attacks, sneezing episodes and breathing difficulty. A meandering series of investigations were performed by various consultants over four years before the source was identified and removed completely. No overall methodology had been employed. The second involves an occupant complaint of an irritating odor encountered upon returning to the office after being on leave. This odor investigation methodology included occupant interviews, a complete inventory of potential odor sources, pathways and driving forces, and finally, the methodical removal of one potential source at a time until the odor was no longer an issue.Success was achieved using two iterations of this procedure without any costly chemical measurements. Using a methodical and pragmatic approach to odor investigations can save time and money.