Sensitivity to biologically relevant odours may exceed the sum of component thresholds

Summary In four fruit-eating bats sniff-rate analysis revealed the threshold value for natural banana odour to be 1 × 10^–4 vol% of head-space while the threshold values for its major components were found to be 3–6 orders of magnitude higher; even the total of molecules present at the threshold dilution of banana odour was 2 orders of magnitude below the lowest threshold values obtained for single components. Thus, the responsiveness of the bats to threshold concentration of natural banana odour is discussed as an example of synergism of stimuli.     

恶臭物质的嗅觉阈值与致臭机理研究概况与展望

嗅阈值是表征气味物质特性的重要指标,对认识异味污染的形成机理、恶臭评估及污染控制有重要意义.围绕嗅阈值的测定方法、嗅阈值与分子结构的关系及复合臭气评估模型,论述国内外相关研究的概况,在指出现有研究不足的同时,提出有待解决的关键问题及重点研究内容.     

藻源性湖泛发生过程的季节差异

藻源性湖泛在春季和夏季均有发生,但湖泛发生的完整过程在野外很难被追踪到.本文利用专利装置进行了春季与夏季藻源性湖泛的室内发生模拟,研究了湖泛发生过程中水体视觉和嗅觉两方面特征指标的变化过程.结果表明:湖泛在春季比夏季需要更长的酝酿时间方可发生,且持续时间较短;春季湖泛发生时水体真色度与悬浮固体含量均要高于夏季,且波动更显著;夏季湖泛致臭物质的变化较春季更明显,具有迅速、持久的特点;春季与夏季藻源性湖泛过程均具有嗅觉特征先于视觉效果显现的现象,即呈现先臭后黑的特点.     

城市污水处理厂恶臭挥发性有机物的感官定量评价研究

采用自制低温吸附装置和臭气袋采集了广州典型城市污水厂6个处理车间的空气样品.应用热解析/气相色谱-质谱联用仪分析恶臭挥发性有机物的组成和含量,参照国标的三点比较式臭袋法测量样品的恶臭浓度,并针对恶臭挥发性有机物进行感官定量评价.结果表明,①城市污水处理厂检测出烷烃、烯烃、芳香烃等7大类共70种挥发性有机物,其中30种属于恶臭挥发性有机物,它们的浓度范围为0.37～1 872.24μg.m-3,在污泥脱水、污泥浓缩和曝气池最高;②主成分分析可以将主要恶臭挥发性有机物分为苯系物、卤代烃、醛类、碳氢化合物和含氮、硫的挥发性有机物5类;③多元线性回归分析能建立化学浓度与恶臭感官浓度的定量表达式,计算出恶臭挥发性有机物对该厂恶臭气味的贡献率占25%,感官浓度的预测值和实测值拟合良好,建立的预测方程对污水处理车间低浓度恶臭挥发性有机物的敏感度高于人鼻嗅辨的敏感度.     

嗅觉标准液的人群测试

嗅觉标准液是可使人的嗅觉阈值测试标准化,科学化,数量化,应用嗅觉标准液对人群的嗅觉阈值测试,可以了解我国人群嗅觉状及特点,以便应用标准液筛选嗅觉试验员和鼻科临床无创伤检验等方面。     

异味混合物中组分浓度与其强度贡献关系研究

由挥发性有机污染物(VOCs)等引起的恶臭污染已经成为一个严重的环境问题,而污染物种类繁多,浓度差异大和物质间相互作用规律复杂等因素,对异味强度等感官评价研究造成极大困难.本研究针对室内环境,选取典型挥发性有机污染物组成多种异味混合物,6名专业嗅辨员组成嗅觉评价小组,分别评价异味混合物和相应各组分物质单独存在时的异味强度,分析混合物中各组分含量与混合物整体异味强度之间的联系.结果表明,当混合物中某物质异味活度(odor activity value,OAV)的自然对数值占混合物总量的比例小于20%时,其对混合物的异味强度贡献基本为零.利用该方法预先忽略多组分异味混合物中的部分物质,可以在异味物质相互作用规律和异味感官评价等研究中起到重要简化作用.     

The effect of cadmium upon the structure of the olfactory nerve in the young pike †

Some recent experiments have shown with autoradiographic methods the axonal transport of cadmium along the olfactory nerve of the salmon trout.² We should determine in our experiments the effect of cadmium upon the olfactory nerve at histological level using optical microscopy technics.     

Brief exposure to copper induces apoptosis and alters mediators of olfactory signal transduction in coho salmon

Pacific salmon are particularly susceptible to copper (Cu)-induced olfactory injuries that can ultimately inhibit neurobehaviors critical to survival. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying Cu-mediated olfactory impairment remain poorly understood. In the present study, we conducted a short-term Cu exposure at levels relevant to urban runoff (5, 25 and 50 ppb) , and investigated the roles of impaired olfactory signal transduction and induced apoptosis as underlying mechanisms of olfactory injury. Increased cell death in the olfactory epithelium was evident in coho receiving 4 h exposures to 25 and 50 ppb Cu. Expression of olfactory marker protein (omp), a marker of mature olfactory sensory neurons, also decreased at 50 ppb Cu. Immunohistochemical analysis of coho olfactory epithelium demonstrated a loss of type 3 adenylate cyclase (ACIII) in the apical olfactory epithelium cilia at all levels of Cu exposure, suggesting an inhibitory effect of Cu in olfactory signaling. Accompanying the loss of ACIII in Cu-exposed coho were reduced intracellular cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) levels in the olfactory rosettes. Collectively, these results support a linkage among the initial steps of olfactory signaling in Cu-induced salmon olfactory injury, and suggesting that monitoring olfactory cGMP levels may aid in the assessment of salmon olfactory injury.     

Effect of colour on male orientation to female pheromone in the black chafer Holotrichia loochooana loochooana

Summary. Under field conditions significantly more black chafer, Holotrichia loochooana loochooana (Sawada) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) males landed on black and gray sources than white ones containing 10 mg of female pheromone, anthranilic acid. When a broader spectrum of colours was tested the frequency of male landing was intensively proportional to as the lightness of the colour of the lures. These findings demonstrated that mate location by H. l. loochooana males is dependent on both olfactory and visual stimuli of the source. In contrast, female aggregation was not affected by colour.     

Receptor neurones in three heliothine moths responding to floral nd inducible plant volatiles

Summary. Some plant volatiles are produced in response to herbivory of several insect species, including heliothine larvae. In the present study of female heliothine moths, four co-located receptor neurone types were identified, of which three types responded strongest to the inducible compounds E--ocimene, E,E--farnesene and E,E-TMTT, respectively. The fourth type responded strongest to geraniol, which is a common floral volatile. The narrow tuning of each receptor neurone type was demonstrated by responses to a few structurally-related monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, homo-terpenes and monoterpene alcohols, respectively, out of hundreds of plant constituents tested. The four neurone types showed the same relation of spike amplitudes and ranking of effective compounds in the three heliothine species; the polyphagous Heliothis virescens and Helicoverpa armigera and the oligophagous Helicoverpa assulta. The results indicate the presence of functionally similar types of plant odour-receptor neurones in the three related species, and suggest conservation or reappearance of functionally similar olfactory receptors in related species, independent of the evolution of polyphagy and oligophagy.