ABSTRACT
Body odour is a common problem that people face during their day-to-day activities. Though several researchers have proposed the odour formation mechanism linked to bacterial strains, the influence of textile fibers and properties has still not been completely explored. Odour formation in textile fibers is a very complex phenomenon. It is related to several parameters like chemical structure and physical structure of the fiber material. Similarly, previous literature showed that the differences among the natural and synthetic fibers are significant in the case of odour absorption or adsorption. Hence, this chapter analyses the existing literature and points out the important role of textile fibers in odour formation and retention behavior. Among the analysed fibers, natural fibers showed less odour formation and retention due to their higher moisture absorption characteristics. In contrast, synthetic fibers showed higher surface adsorption and release. In the case of fabric parameters, irrespective of the structures used, the thickness and compactness of the fabric played a vital role by favouring bacterial growth in odour formation during wear.
