Detecting odors of toxic substances

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Detection of odors from extremely toxic chemicals often relies on human experience, as individuals who have encountered substances like methyl isocyanate report its "sharp, pungent odor." The sensitivity of the human nose plays a crucial role, with the ability to detect harmful vapors at very low concentrations, such as 3 ppm of hydrogen sulfide. While many toxic substances do not contain common odor molecules, their detection can still occur through prolonged exposure to detectable concentrations. Most lethal chemicals tend to have pungent odors, which aids in their identification and highlights the importance of sensory perception in recognizing hazardous substances.
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How are odors of extremely toxic chemicals be detected? If the chemical doesn't contain any of the common molecules with an odor, can we analyse how it would smells like?
And can we predict how a certain substance smells like? (without even analysing it)
How do we know, for example, that methyl isocyanate has a "sharp, pungent odor"?
 
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Garlic said:
How do we know, for example, that methyl isocyanate has a "sharp, pungent odor"?

From the people who smelled it and lived long enough to report.

And I am deadly serious.
 
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This is... unbelievable
 
Take in mind that the nose is sometimes incredibly sensitive to smells. You would have to expose a person for several hours to smellable concentrations of methyl isocyanate for it to be lethal.
 
The nose is very sensitive to poisonous vapors. For instance, the nose can detect c.c. 3 ppm of H2S gas. with the exception of methane and carbon monoxide, most lethal chemicals have pungent odors.
 

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