In a recent paper we presented a simple two compartment model which describes the influence of inhaled concentrations on exhaled breath concentrations for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) with small Henry constants. In this paper we extend this inve
stigation concerning the influence of inhaled concentrations on exhaled breath concentrations for VOCs with higher Henry constants. To this end we extend our model with an additional compartment which takes into account the influence of the upper airways on exhaled breath VOC concentrations.
We develop a simple three compartment model based on mass balance equations which quantitatively describes the dynamics of breath methane concentration profiles during exercise on an ergometer. With the help of this model it is possible to estimate t
he endogenous production rate of methane in the large intestine by measuring breath gas concentrations of methane.
Volatile organic compounds emitted by a human body form a chemical signature capable of providing invaluable information on the physiological status of an individual and, thereby, could serve as signs-of-life for detecting victims after natural or ma
n-made disasters. In this review a database of potential biomarkers of human presence was created on the basis of existing literature reports on volatiles in human breath, skin emanation, blood, and urine. Approximate fluxes of these species from the human body were estimated and used to predict their concentrations in the vicinity of victims. The proposed markers were classified into groups of different potential for victim detection. The major classification discriminants were the capability of detection by portable, real-time analytical instruments and background levels in urban environment. The data summarized in this review are intended to assist studies on the detection of humans via chemical analysis and accelerate investigations in this area of knowledge.
In this paper we develop a simple two compartment model which extends the Farhi equation to the case when the inhaled concentration of a volatile organic compound (VOC) is not zero. The model connects the exhaled breath concentration of systemic VOCs
with physiological parameters such as endogenous production rates and metabolic rates. Its validity is tested with data obtained for isoprene and inhaled deuterated isoprene-D5.
