Standards for ventilation of occupied spaces have been set primarily on the basis of odor level. Hospital ventilation is somewhat of an exception, wherein there is a risk of airborne infection and the release of chemical contaminants, some toxic. A large fraction of hospital space is relatively free of airborne bacteria and chemical pollution ; further transmission of infection by air motion is considered minor by many medical authorities compared to direct contact.

This study reports on the odor levels and odor acceptability of the air, circulated to hospital patient rooms, as judged by a panel of college students . Patient Tower 1 of a university hospital (a recently constructed modern facility) was used as the test site. Toilet exhaust from half of the patient tower was reduced, while the "control" half of the tower remained at normal exhaust. Panelist judgements of odor levels are quantified against the Dravnieks binary dilution (butanol) olfactometer. The results suggest that reductions in current standards of hospital ventilation (arid toilet exhaust) may lead to odor levels with a high percentage of unacceptability.

Units: Dual