The article provides the literature review devoted to the analysis of international research on the effects of air odor pollution on population health. A literature search was carried out using the databases Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science, MedLine, Global Health, RSCI. The authors analyzed a total of 59 publications from 1949 to 2019. Analysis of the results of studies conducted in various countries (mainly using survey methods), showed the inhabitants of residential areas located near sources of odor, compared with the control areas, more often to have various somatic (respiratory disorders, nausea, eye irritation, headache, dizziness, sleep problems, stomach upset, etc.) and emotional (stress, fatigability, depression) symptoms. At the same time, a significant correlation with these symptoms most often shows a subjective assessment of the frequency and intensity of odor perception by the residents. The researches allow assuming the odor to effect on these disorders indirectly, through the so-called “annoyance”, which is a more powerful predictor of symptoms than the perception of odor, its concentration, or distance to the source. According to researchers, annoyance is a complex of human reactions that occurs as a result of exposure to odor as a stressful factor that causes negative cognitive assessment requiring a certain response. Annoyance is an emotional response to a stimulus that can mediate various symptoms. In addition to the direct effects of odor, a significant influence on the degree of annoyance have socio-economic factors, subjective perception of odor as a harmful factor for the health, personal, and situational factors. The authors conclude that it is necessary to expand approaches to assessing the influence of odors on the health status and quality of life of the population with comprehensive studies, including morbidity analysis, with using highly informative non-invasive methods for the study of cytogenetic, cytological, immunological, psychological status and adaptive capacity of the organism.