Special Issue "Sensing of Scent, Fragrance, Smell, and Odor Emissions from Biota Sources"

Guest Editor
Prof. Dr. Ki-Hyun Kim
Department of Environment & Energy, Sejong University, Goon Ja Dong 98, Gwang Jin Goo, Seoul, 143-747, Korea
Website: http://environment.cafe24.com/
E-Mail: khkim@sejong.ac.kr
Phone: +82 2 3408 3233
Interests: environmental monitoring; volatile organic compounds; reduced sulfur compounds; carbonyls

Dear Colleagues,

Many types of scents, musk, fragrances, smells, odors, and pheromones are produced from various biota sources present in the biosphere, e.g., fauna, flora, bacteria, fruits, flowers, trees, meats, fresh/decaying foods, etc. In light of the environmental significance of the various odor types characterizing certain odorous events, it is crucially important to be able to describe, both qualitatively and quantitatively, the concentration levels and/or relative composition of both major and minor components giving rise to such odorous conditions. Despite many advances achieved in the last 10 years in the sensing, and instrumental techniques for odor quantitation, it still remains of utmost importance to expand our knowledge on the exact nature of various odor types and improve our odor detection abilities.

Hence, this Special Issue is proposed to collate articles (to aid researchers) that focus principally on the most recent advances in: (1) sampling techniques for odor, fragrance, and related components, (2) olfactometry, (3) electronic noses, (4) advanced instrumentation (e.g., combination of thermal desorption with GC-MS or MS-MS, GC-GC, etc.), and (5) all other available or emerging tools for odor sensing.

Prof. Dr. Ki-Hyun Kim
Guest Editor

Submission

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• fragrance
• odor
• sampling
• monitoring
• electronic nose
• instrumentation
• GC-MS

Title: Chemical and Sensory Characterization of Scent Markings in Wild Mammals: A Systematic Review
Authors: Simone B. Soso ¹, Jacek A. Koziel ¹,*, Anna Butters-Johnson ² and Sue Fairbanks ³
Affiliations: ¹ Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA; E-Mail: sbsoso@iastate.edu
² Department of Animal Science, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA; E-Mail: johnsona@iastate.edu
³ Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA; E-Mail: suef@iastate.edu
Abstract: The understanding of behavioral patterns across all species and conservation efforts of endangered species is an important part of ethochemistry. Chemical constituents of scent markings have an important, yet poorly understood function in territoriality, reproduction, dominance, and impact on evolutionary biology. Sensory analyses of scent markings could potentially address knowledge gaps in ethochemistry. The objective of this review is to summarize the current state-of-the art of both the chemical and sensory analyses of scent markings in wild mammals. Specific focus is on sampling and sample preparation, chemical analysis and sensory analyses, and simultaneous chemical and sensory analyses. Constituents of exocrine and endocrine secretions have been most commonly studied with gas-, liquid-, and thin layer chromatography. Odor analysis of scent markings provides an insight into the animal’s sensory perception. A limited number of articles have been published in the area of sensory characterization of volatile organic compounds found in scent marks. Combining chemical and sensory analysis could potentially improve understanding of behavioral patterns and aid conservation.
Keywords: scent marking; semiochemicals; pheromones, wildlife; chromatography; olfactometry; simultaneous chemical and sensory analysis

Title: Fast Detection of Gunshot Residues by Capillary Microextraction of Volatiles coupled to GC-MS
Authors: Anamary Tarifa and Jose Almirall
Affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, International Forensic Research Institute, Florida International University, Modesto A. Maidique Campus, OE116A, USA; E-Mail: almirall@fiu.edu
Abstract: Gunshot residues (GSR) originate from the primer and propellants found in ammunition and can be important trace evidence in incidents involving the discharge of firearms. Inorganic and organic components of GSR can deposit on the hands of a shooter and other people or objects in the immediate vicinity of a discharge. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), originating from unburned or partially burned propellants can be extracted using solid phase microextraction (SPME) and planar SPME. The extraction of VOCs from GSR is reported using a new capillary microextraction of volatiles device for the first time and followed by thermal desorption and analysis using a GC-MS. This novel dynamic sampling extraction technique uses a capillary filled with glass microfibers coated with a polydimethylsiloxane sorbent providing high surface area and fast (< 1 min.) sampling of the space above the suspect area providing for sensitive detection of volatiles associated with the presence of GSR on the hands of a person suspected of recently firing a firearm.

Title: Simultaneous Sampling of Flow and Odorants by Crustaceans can Aid Search within a Turbulent Plume
Authors: Swapnil Pravin and Matthew Reidenbach
Affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia; E-Mail: reidenbach@virginia.edu
Abstract: Crustaceans such as crabs, lobsters and crayfish use dispersing odorant molecules to determine the location of predators, prey, potential mates and habitat. Odorant molecules diffuse into turbulent flows over rough bed environments and are sensed by the olfactory organs of these animals, often using a flicking motion of their antennules. These antennules contain both chemosensory and mechanosensory sensilla, which enable them to detect both flow and odorants during a flick. This “sniffing” can provide specific flow and concentration information about the location of the source of the turbulent plume to the animals. To determine how simultaneous flow and odorant sampling can aid in search behavior compared to odorant sampling alone, a numerical model for the near-bed flow environment was created. A stream of odorant concentration was released and allowed to diffuse into the flow creating a turbulent plume, and both temporally and spatially fluctuating velocity and odorant concentration was quantified. The spectral characteristics of the calculated odorants show close resemblance to experimental measurements of odorants within a large laboratory flume (Reidenbach et. al. 2010), that quantified simultaneous flow and concentration structure using a combined planar laser induced fluorescence/particle image velocimetry technique.  Results show a decreasing mean concentration away from the plume source and high correlation between odorant concentrations and velocity close to the bed, which decreases as the source is approached.

Title: Teleoperated System Based On Electronic Nose for Odors Tracking
Authors: Daniel Galán, José M. Cogollor and Ramón Galán
Affiliation: Centre for Automation and Robotics CAR (UPM-CSIC), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain; E-Mail: ramon.galan@upm.es
Abstract: This paper presents the research of the Intelligent Control Group from the Centre for Automation and Robotics focused on the design and implementation of a teleoperated system used in order to perform tracking tasks based on odor recognition. The teleoperated system is composed by: an Unmanned Ground Vehicle, which turns out to be the slave robot to execute the task in the remote environment; and the master device, which is used by the operator in order to generate the commands for the navigation and guidance of the slave, and for additional check of the sensors evolution by an easy-to-use interface. An electronic nose with sixteen chemical sensors, from Figaro Inc., was especially designed and integrated in the robot as the main part for the objective pursued. Moreover, four temperature sensors, a relative humidity sensor and an atmospheric pressure sensor were also fitted to the electronic nose. The prototype was designed to support help in the localization of disaster victims in areas where the rescue personnel has difficulties to come in.