Influence of intermittent exposure of odor on odor intensity and olfactory adaptation

The issue of odor control has become increasingly important for residents living in airtight homes. Olfactory adaptation has been studied in recent years, but it is necessary to consider the ability to recover the sense of smell after breathing clean air. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of intermittent odor exposure on odor intensity and olfactory adaptation. Participants were exposed to three odor conditions: clean air, constant exposure to Hinoki Cypress, and intermittent exposure to Hinoki Cypress. In the case of constant odor exposure, olfactory adaptation was indicated immediately, and in the case of intermittent exposure, the participants' sense of smell recovered after breathing clean air for only 2 min. For the calculated results of the model estimate, the estimate was obtained when the odor intensity was modeled in the primary stage (for 5 min). However, the calculated values under odorless conditions were lower than the experimentally obtained values.