Health Assessment Document for Diesel Emissions - NSCEP | US ...

1 one-half units up to 3, strong (Odor Panel ofthe CRC-APRAC Program Group on Composition
2 of Diesel Exhaust, 1979; Levins, 1981 ).
3 Surveys, utilizing volunteer panelists, have been taken to evaluate the general public's
4 response to the odor of diesel exhaust. Hare and Springer ( 1971) and Hare et al. ( 197 4) found
5 that at aD rating of about 2 (TIA = 0.9, slight odor intensity), about 90% of the participants
6 perceived the odor, and almost 60% found it objectionable. At aD rating of 3.2 (TIA = 1.2,
7 slight to moderate odor intensity), about 95% perceived the odor, and 75% objected to it, and, at
8 aD rating of 5 (TIA = 1.8, almost moderate), about 95% objected to it.. Linnell and Scott (1962)
9 evaluated the odor threshold for diesel exhaust in six subjects and found that a dilution factor of
1 0 140 to 4 7 5 was required to reduce the odor to the threshold level.
11 Linnell and Scott (1962) reported odor threshold measurement in six Sll;bjects and fotmd
12 that the dilution factor needed to reach the threshold ranged from 140 to 475 for this small
13 sample of people. At these dilutions, the concentrations of formaldehyde ranged from 0. 012 to
14 0.088 ppm. .
15
16 5.1.1.1.2. Pulmoirary and respiratory effects. Battigelli (1965) exposed 13 volunteers to three
17 dilutions of diesel exhaust obtained from a one-cylinder, four-cycle, 7-hp diesel engine (fuel type
18 unspecified) and found that 15-min to 1-h exposures had no significant effects on pulmonary
19 resistance. Pulmonary resistance was measured by plethysmography utilizing the simultaneous
20 recording of esophageal pressure and airflow determined by electrical differentiation of the
21 volume signal from a spirometer. The units of concentration of the constituents in the three
22 diluted exhausts were 1.3, 2.8, and 4.2 ppm N0 2 ; 0.2, 0.5, and 1 ppm S0 2 ;