MD80 FLT ATTENDANT NOTED FUMES IN THE CABIN AFTER TKOF AT STL.

Narrative

THIS WAS A FERRY FLT WITH FLT ATTENDANT TO CVG TO PICK UP A PROFESSIONAL SPORTS TEAM. SHORTLY AFTER DEP THE FLT ATTENDANTS NOTIFIED US THAT THEY SMELLED A STRONG ODOR IN CABIN. SHORTLY AFTER THIS WE SMELLED THE ODOR IN COCKPIT. THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE NOT SURE WHAT THE ODOR WAS OR WHERE IT WAS COMING FROM. THE FO WAS FLYING. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF THE GALLEY PWR AND SELECTED HP BLEED 'OFF' ON R PACK. THE FLT ATTENDANT INDICATED THE ODOR WAS DISSIPATING RAPIDLY. THE FO AND I WERE DISCUSSING THE SIT WHEN THE FLT ATTENDANT AGAIN CALLED AND SAID THE ODOR WAS COMING BACK. AGAIN SHORTLY AFTER THIS WE SMELLED IT IN THE COCKPIT BUT COULD NOT DEFINE FROM WHERE OR WHAT TYPE OF ODOR. WE ELECTED TO IMMEDIATELY RETURN TO STL; ABOUT 80 MI. I ALSO TURNED OFF THE R PACK AND AGAIN THE FLT ATTENDANT SAID THE ODOR WAS DISSIPATING. DUE TO THE UNKNOWN NATURE OF THE ODOR AND THE WX DELAYS; ABOUT 30 MINS; I ELECTED TO DECLARE AN EMER AND RECEIVED PRIORITY HANDLING. THE ODOR DISSIPATED IN THE COCKPIT BUT THE FLT ATTENDANT SAID THEY COULD STILL SMELL THE ODOR. I DID REVIEW THE EMER SECTION ON AIR AND ELECTRIC BUT DID NOT FEEL THEY DIRECTLY APPLIED TO MY SIT AT THIS POINT. BY THIS TIME WE WERE BELOW 10000 FT AND I DID DEPRESSURIZE AT ABOUT 6000 FT. WE LANDED AND TAXIED INTO GATE WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. EMER EQUIP MET THE ACFT AND FOLLOWED US TO GATE. DISPATCH AND CHIEF PLT WERE CONTACTED AFTER LNDG.