Electronic Nose

Across a wide range of applications there is a need to rapidly detect, identify, and quantify complex volatile mixtures. Food manufacturers need to monitor the quality of incoming raw products and evaluate the perceptual properties of their products; environmental agencies seek to regulate the emission of malodors from waste treatment and other industrial plants. Humans readily accomplish these tasks through the sense of smell. Could an instrument be developed to mimic these capabilities? This entry describes the technology of electronic noses, discusses the challenges associated with mimicking human olfaction, and reviews past and current application areas of electronic noses.