Persistence of aroma compounds in human breath after consuming an aqueous model aroma mixture

Persistence of aroma compounds in the breath was studied from a model mixture containing five chemicals in an aqueous medium at two concentration levels. The breath of five subjects was monitored by atmospheric pressure ionization-mass spectrometry (API-MS) and the persistence of each compound computed as the ratio of instrumental responses between first and second breaths. Persistence was modelled, based on relevant physicochemical parameters of the compounds in the mixture. Vapour pressure was found to be the most significant parameter. Persistence was not influenced by panellists, volatile concentration levels or replications within subjects, although there were large differences in persistence among chemicals.