We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
WiseGeek

Advertiser Disclosure

Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.

How We Make Money

We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently from our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Technology

What Is an Electronic Nose?

By B. Turner
Updated May 17, 2024
Our promise to you
WiseGeek is dedicated to creating trustworthy, high-quality content that always prioritizes transparency, integrity, and inclusivity above all else. Our ensure that our content creation and review process includes rigorous fact-checking, evidence-based, and continual updates to ensure accuracy and reliability.

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

Editorial Standards

At WiseGeek, we are committed to creating content that you can trust. Our editorial process is designed to ensure that every piece of content we publish is accurate, reliable, and informative.

Our team of experienced writers and editors follows a strict set of guidelines to ensure the highest quality content. We conduct thorough research, fact-check all information, and rely on credible sources to back up our claims. Our content is reviewed by subject matter experts to ensure accuracy and clarity.

We believe in transparency and maintain editorial independence from our advertisers. Our team does not receive direct compensation from advertisers, allowing us to create unbiased content that prioritizes your interests.

An electronic nose is a device designed to artificially reproduce the capabilities of the human nose. An electric, or artificial nose can sense different types of smells and even distinguish tastes or flavors. These devices operate based on the idea that smells are made up of different chemicals and compounds. By classifying each unique scent by its chemical makeup, an electronic nose can be programmed to identify smells and tastes. This technology has the potential to provide numerous benefits in terms of health care, public safety, and the environment.

While the concept of an electronic nose may seem like a cutting-edge technology, scientists first developed an artificial nose in the 1930s. These early models used sensors to measure levels of ultra-violet light found in mercury. By detecting the presence of mercury, these devices were able to warn miners and other workers of potential dangers.

Modern electronic nose designs operate slightly differently. These machines incorporate dozens of sensors that measure the amount of different types of compounds found in the air. They detect chemicals as well as organic compounds, then supply this information to a computer. Based on the amount of each of these chemicals and compounds, the computer can provide users with information on smells. One advantage to an electronic nose over a human nose is its ability to detect very low levels of smells, which can help keep people safe and healthy.

The electronic nose is already being used in a number of applications. Some municipalities rely on these devices to test the quality of the local water supply. By measuring odors and taste, the electronic nose can help these agencies produce cleaner, better-tasting water. This type of technology is also used in food processing. Some of these devices can spot e.coli and other dangerous organisms in livestock before they are processed. This can help to greatly reduce the risks of foodborne illnesses.

Electric noses are also used in manufacturing, where they serve as valuable quality-control tools for products ranging from cosmetics to paint. Police and law enforcement agencies rely on these devices to detect bombs or explosives, and also to detect the presence of illegal drugs. In mining, an e-sensing system can help protect miners from carbon monoxide, mercury, and other dangerous substances that can be impossible for the human nose to detect. Modern research even shows that an electronic nose can spot certain types of cancer in patients long before it can be spotted using other types of tests.

WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
See our Editorial Process Share Feedback

Related Articles

Discussion Comments

By MrMoody — On Oct 23, 2011

@nony - The use of an electronic nose to detect cancer in advance is an intriguing concept. This would seem counterintuitive, since cancer as such does not really produce any vapors or gases. Perhaps I am mistaken, and there is some release of chemical compounds that makes its way through the pores of the skin.

This is the best use of the technology in my opinion, one that detects and possibility prevents a problem before it happens.

By nony — On Oct 23, 2011

@allenJo - I’d be willing to bet that electronic noses are used in oil tankers to detect some of the poisonous gases that are on those ships.

It’s my understanding that some of those gases are undetectable by the human nose, and so you could potentially be poisoned without realizing it.

I also think this technology is used in some smoke or fire detectors that detect carbon monoxide or other gases in the air.

By allenJo — On Oct 22, 2011

I suppose that if you’re in law enforcement, an electronic nose would be more useful than the usual pack of dogs if you’re trying to sniff out drugs.

At least with the electronic nose, the drug smugglers are unaware of its presence and have nothing to shoot back at. What I find amazing in the article is that it helps us to truly understand what the sense of smell is.

Smell is nothing more than the ability to detect certain compounds in the air, using sensors, whether they are biological or electronic. That makes it easy for me to understand how something like an electronic nose could be possible, now and even back in the 1930s when the technology was first introduced.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.