1. Geruchsintensive Stoffe: Grundlagen, Bewertung und Markierung
- Author
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van Thriel, C, Monsé, C, Rettenmeier, A W, Sucker, K, Werner, S, Leibold, E, Bruning, T, Arand, Michael; https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2413-3177, Käfferlein, H, Bartsch, R, Kreis, P, Hartwig, A, MAK Commission, van Thriel, C, Monsé, C, Rettenmeier, A W, Sucker, K, Werner, S, Leibold, E, Bruning, T, Arand, Michael; https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2413-3177, Käfferlein, H, Bartsch, R, Kreis, P, Hartwig, A, and MAK Commission
- Abstract
Odours from substances at the workplace are often strong, unpleasant and perceptible even at concentrations below the valid MAK values. “Odour-associated symptoms” such as nausea and headaches may develop as a result of a special processing of neurophysiological signals, a specific neuroanatomical connectivity and the evolutionary significance of olfaction. These effects cannot be taken into consideration for the derivation of a MAK value because they occur only in isolated cases. Substances at the workplace that are associated with these kinds of effects are designated in the List of MAK and BAT Values with a corresponding footnote. This article presents the scientific background and the specific procedure used for applying the footnote. By stimulating specialized odour receptors, odours are perceptible even at very low concentrations. After crossing only a few synaptic junctions, the odour information reaches regions of the brain such as the limbic system, the vegetative nuclei of the hypothalamus and the reticular formation. Odours, particularly unpleasant ones, are often perceived as a sign of danger based on individual experiences and evolutionary developments. However, individual responses differ considerably and this variation cannot be explained adequately by physiological mechanisms. Therefore, in order to have the potential of inducing “odour-associated symptoms”, the workplace substances in question must have a low odour threshold and an unpleasant odour quality. The methods used to identify these odour characteristics are quite heterogeneous and have not been standardized. Different sources were used to determine the odour characteristics of the 43 workplace substances from the List of MAK and BAT Values that potentially met these criteria. After the data were checked for plausibility, 23 of the substances were designated with the footnote following a systematic evaluation.
- Published
- 2023