MD80 FLT CREW REPORTS STRONG SOLVENT SMELL AT FL330 AND DECLARES AN EMERGENCY. STRONG ODOR IS TRACED TO CHILDREN IN FIRST CLASS USING COLORED MARKING PENS AND EMERGENCY IS UNDECLARED WITH FLIGHT CONTINUING TO DESTINATION.

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LEVEL AT FL330 80 MI E OF ZZZ; A STRONG ODOR SIMILAR TO PAINT THINNER WAS DETECTED BY BOTH PLTS. COCKPIT CREW INITIATED FUME CHKLIST. AFTER SECURING MASK AND GOGGLES; COCKPIT CREW ESTABLISHED COMS WITH FLT ATTENDANTS. THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT RPTED THAT HE ALSO SMELLED A STRONG ODOR AND A FLT ATTENDANT IN THE AFT OF THE ACFT ALSO RPTED AN ODOR SMELL. SINCE WE WERE NOT ABLE TO DETERMINE THE SOURCE OF THE STRONG ODOR; AND CONSIDERING THAT ALL OF THE FLT CREW RPTED NOTICING THE SMELL; THE FLT CREW DETERMINED THAT AN EMER SHOULD BE DECLARED FOLLOWED BY A DIVERT TO ZZZ. AFTER DECLARING THE EMER; ATC CLRED THE FLT TO TURN 180 DEGS FOR VECTORS TOWARDS ZZZ. AS THE ACFT WAS IN THE TURN; THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT CALLED THE COCKPIT AND INFORMED THE CREW THAT THE SOURCE OF THE FUME-LIKE ODOR WAS IDENTED. APPARENTLY; 2 CHILDREN SITTING IN FIRST CLASS HAD JUST BEGUN TO COLOR WITH INK MARKERS. THE FLT ATTENDANT RPTED; WITHOUT A DOUBT; THAT THE SMELL WAS COMING FROM THE INK BEING APPLIED TO THE PAPER. THIS WAS VERIFIED BY THE OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS WORKING THE FLT; AS WELL AS A PLT IN UNIFORM COMMUTING TO WORK. THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT RPTED THAT THE MARKER IS PRINTED WITH A WARNING TO AVOID USE OF THE MARKER AT HIGH ALTS; OR IN CONFINED SPACES. SINCE THE SOURCE OF THE ODOR WAS NOW DISCOVERED AND NOTICING THAT THE SMELL HAD DISSIPATED; THE FLT CREW DETERMINED THAT AN EMER SITUATION NO LONGER EXISTED. ATC WAS THEN INFORMED THAT WE DISCOVERED THE SOURCE OF THE UNUSUAL ODOR; AND THAT THE SITUATION WAS NOW SAFE AND UNDER CTL. WE RESCINDED THE EMER DECLARATION AND REQUESTED VECTORS TO CONTINUE THE FLT ON TO OUR DEST. WE LANDED ON TIME; WITHOUT INCIDENT.