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. 2020 Oct 31;8(11):1709. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms8111709

Table 1.

Odorous compounds identified on textiles unwashed after wear and/or after a household laundering process. FD = flavour dilution. Some studies show data on microorganisms and / or volatiles of clothes after wearing and before washing (= after wearing), while other studies present data on worn clothes after washing (= after washing). “Involved microorganisms” refers to microorganisms that have been linked with the production of the respective substances in the literature.

Volatile Group Odorous Volatiles Involved Microorganisms Analysis before and/or after Washing, FD-value Literature
Fatty acids Ethanoic acid (acetic acid) Propionibacterium sp.
Staphylococcus sp.
after wearing [41,58]
Propanoic acid Propionibacterium sp.
Staphylococcus sp.
after wearing [41,58]
2-methylpropanoic acid (isobutyric acid) Bacillus subtilis after wearing [59]
Butanoic acid after wearing [8]
2-methylbutanoic acid Bacillus subtilis after wearing [59]
3-methylbutanoic acid (isovaleric acid) Bacillus subtilis
Staphylococcus epidermidis
after wearing and after washing [6,38,43,59,60,61,62]
3-methyl-2-hexenoic acid Corynebacterium sp.
Micrococcus sp.
after wearing [42,58,60,63,64]
4-methyl-3-hexenoic acid (4M3H) Moraxella osloensis after washing [2,43]
5-methyl-4-hexenoic acid after washing [43]
3-methyl-3-hydroxy-hexanoic acid Corynebacterium bovis, Corynebacterium jeijeikum, Corynebacterium striatum after wearing [42,60,63,64]
6-heptenoic acid after washing [43]
4-methyloctanoic acid after washing [6]
4-ethyloctanoic acid after washing; FD > 256 [6]
Steroid compounds 5-α-androstenol after wearing [65]
5-α-androstenone after wearing [66]
5-α-androst-2-en-17-one Staphylococcus sp. Corynebacterium sp. after wearing and after washing [6,38,60,61,62,67]
5-α-androst-16-ene-3-one after wearing [58]
Sulfur compounds 3-methyl-3-sulfanyl-hexan-1-ol
(3M3SH)
Staphylococcus haemolyticus; Staphylococcus hominis after wearing [38,39,42,60,63,64]
Dimethyl disulphides after washing [8,68]
Dimethyl trisulphides after washing [8,68]
Benzyl mercaptan Corynebacterium sp. after wearing [39]
Ketones 1-hexen-3-one after washing [6]
2-heptanone after wearing [8]
2-octanone after wearing [8]
1-octen-3-one after wearing and after washing [6,67]
2-nonanone after wearing [8]
Medium-chain ketones
(undetermined)
[10]
Esters Ethyl-2-methylpropanoate after washing; FD > 256 [6]
Ethyl butanoate after wearing and after washing; FD > 256 [6,67]
Methyl-3-methyl-hexanoate after wearing [58]
Methyl laurate after wearing [58]
Methyl myristate after wearing [58]
2-Aminoacetophenone after wearing; FD > 256 [6]
Diethyl phthalate after wearing [58]
Aldehydes Methional after washing [6]
Hexanal after washing [46]
(Z)-4-heptenal after washing; FD > 256 [6]
Octanal after washing; FD > 256 [6]
after washing [46]
(E)-2-octenal after washing [6]
Cis/trans-2-nonenal after wearing and after washing; FD > 256 [6,46]
(E,Z)-2,4-nonadienal after washing; FD > 256 [6]
(E,Z)-2,6-nonadienal after washing; FD > 256 [6]
Decanal after washing [43]
(E,E)-2,4-decadienal after washing [6]
(E)-4,5-epoxy-E-2-decenal after wearing; FD > 256 [6]
4-methoxybenzaldehyde after washing; FD > 256 [6,68]
Medium-chain aldehydes
(not determined)
[10]
Alcohols Oct-1-en-3-ol after washing [67]
2-Nonanol after wearing [58]
1-Decanol after washing [68]
1-Dodecanol after washing; FD > 256 [68]
2-Phenylethanol after wearing and after washing; FD > 256 [67,68]
2-Methoxyphenol (guaiacol) after wearing and after washing [6,67]
Others Naphthalene after wearing [67]