The sense of smell, which is one of our senses with which we can feel our surroundings, can make us feel very good things, as well as cause us to hear smells that will cause us to escape from the environment. But are there really heavier scents that remain simple compared to other scents?
Think of a scent, whose sole purpose is to smell; which caused hundreds or even thousands of people downwind to vomit and flee in horror. Today we will talk about a chemical called thioacetone.
The chemical that smellers call “the smell of hell”: Thioacetone
Thioacetone, which is a member of the organic sulfur compound family, which is already famous for its bad smell, is considered to be the heaviest smelling chemical in the world, according to studies. Thioacetone, a compound of (CH3)2CS, is a chemical that exists in liquid form below -20 degrees Celsius. In 1889, thioacetone, which was accidentally discovered while working on chemical synthesis in a factory in Germany, caused everyone within 750 meters to be affected by the smell and started to vomit. Along with these effects, the smell, which caused panic, was such a bad experience that people were jumping out of the window.
The experiment conducted in 1967 on this substance, which even chemists are afraid to examine, offers us important information.
The most in-depth analysis has been done by Victor Nurnop and Kenneth Latham at the Esso Research Station in the UK. According to this study, many observers were placed at quarter-mile distances (400 meters). A drop of the material obtained from the crude thioacetone crystallizations was then dropped onto the glass.
The odor emanating from this tiny drop of thioacetone traveled downwind in seconds and was detected by observers. This chemical, which smells like “hell’s garbage dump”, is famous for its heavy smell as well as its rapid spread. People who smell the chemical may experience fainting, accompanied by vomiting and darkening of the eyes.
Today we told you about thioacetone, the worst smelling chemical in the world. If you want more content like this, you can write to us in the comments section.
- Sources: Science, Chemistry Europe, RealClear Science, The New York Times
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