Jurnal Presipitasi : Media Komunikasi dan Pengembangan Teknik Lingkungan
Vol 23, No 2 (2026): July 2026

Performance Test of Environmental Odour Measurement Instrument

Dede Heri (IPB University)
Arief Sabdo Yuwono (IPB University)
Erus Rustami (IPB University)
Daranrat Jaitiang (Chiang Mai University)



Article Info

Publish Date
31 Jul 2026

Abstract

Environmental odour assessment is important for evaluating air quality and community amenity; however, conventional dynamic dilution olfactometry requires specialised laboratory facilities and costly equipment, limiting its use for routine field monitoring. This study developed and evaluated a direct-airflow environmental odour measurement instrument that delivers ambient air directly to panellists without dilution. The instrument was designed to operate at an airflow velocity of 1 m/s, selected through climatological analysis, panellist preference testing, and technical verification against ASHRAE Standard 55 and EN 13725:2022. Eight screened panellists assessed ambient air, n-butanol, and ammonia using the Yuwono Hedonic Scale under field conditions. Instrument performance, panellist consistency, and the influence of meteorological conditions on odour perception were evaluated. The selected airflow velocity of 1 m/s yielded the highest ratings for odour detectability, comfort, and ease of assessment. Repeated ammonia measurements (3.4–3.5 ppm) produced highly consistent hedonic scores (−3.2 to −3.0), while ammonia concentration and hedonic scores followed a logarithmic relationship (R² = 0.9994). Mean hedonic scores for ambient air (−0.1), n-butanol (−1.3), and ammonia (−3.1) confirmed consistent panellist discrimination of odour characteristics.

Copyrights © 2026