metalresearcher
National Hazard
Posts: 732
Registered: 7-9-2010
Member Is Offline
Mood: Reactive
|
|
What is responsible for a fart's smell ?
Personally I think these anal gases contain tiny amounts of methylmercaptan CH3SH and H2S is also responsible for it.
Is this correct or am I wrong ?
|
|
|
Bot0nist
International Hazard
Posts: 1559
Registered: 15-2-2011
Location: Right behind you.
Member Is Offline
Mood: Streching my cotyledons.
|
|
Since the smell of flatus varies between individuals and occurrences I must assume that it is no one answer. I do know that a fart consists mostly of:
* Nitrogen: 20–90%
* Hydrogen: 0–50%
* Carbon dioxide: 10–30%
* Oxygen: 0–10%
* Methane: 0–10%
So the smelly chemicals (if you don't count methane) must be a very small fraction of the volume of flatus. Me thinks some sulfur compounds may even
be present sometimes, judging by the odor.
U.T.F.S.E. and learn the joys of autodidacticism!
Don't judge each day only by the harvest you reap, but also by the seeds you sow.
|
|
|
mario840
Hazard to Others
Posts: 229
Registered: 20-1-2010
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
H2S very small amount but shitty to nose
|
|
|
metalresearcher
National Hazard
Posts: 732
Registered: 7-9-2010
Member Is Offline
Mood: Reactive
|
|
The content of C2H5SH is *very low* as 1 : 2.5 billion is already detectable.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C2H5SH
|
|
|
redox
Hazard to Others
Posts: 268
Registered: 22-2-2011
Location: The Land of Milk and Honey
Member Is Offline
Mood: Chalcogenetic
|
|
The article:
"Identification of Gases Responsible for the Odour of Human Flatus and Evaluation of a Device Purported to Reduce this Odour"
Said that the main components were H2S (1.06 µmol/l), methanethiol (0.21 µmol/l), and dimethyl sulfide (0.08 µmol/l).
My quite small but growing Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/RealChemLabs
Newest video: Synthesis of Chloroform
The difference between chemists and chemical engineers: Chemists use test tubes, chemical engineers use buckets. |
|
|
cyanureeves
National Hazard
Posts: 737
Registered: 29-8-2010
Location: Mars
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
i am responsible for fart smell by thursday when i start on the beans after i eat up all my boloney by wednesday. it has got to be hcl acid because
even some metals in hcl acid stink and probably metals and minerals in our food. what i dont understand is why i start farting as soon as beans hit my
belly before i even start digesting.its like the campfire scene in blazing saddles.
|
|
|
bahamuth
Hazard to Others
Posts: 384
Registered: 3-11-2009
Location: Norway
Member Is Offline
Mood: Under stimulated
|
|
Metals dissolved in acid usually "stink" because of phosphorous or sulfur contaminants, reacting giving phosphine and hydrogen sulfide.
Think redox nailed it, but suspect that there may be several more odourous gases/volatiles responsible for flatus odour present in minute quantities.
Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
|
|
|
![[*]](images/xpblue/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
