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Some smells always belong, but do not always remain, outside
Published in print as "O Mercaptan, My Mercaptan"
Steve Mirsky has been writing the Anti Gravity column since he was a man trapped in the body of a slightly younger man. He also hosts the Scientific American podcast Science Talk.
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3 Comments
Add CommentVery very funny! Actually Steve, thiols are our friends in terms of protein switching, antioxidation and suspended animation! You might want to visit a sulfur spa near you for stress relief, as well as reconsider our sulfur-emitting metabolism as altruistic!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYou bring back memories of managing chemical production where we used propyl mercaptan. If memory serves me correctly, an odor panel could identify it at 0.7 ppb, well below a level of concern regarding toxicity.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisPlant operators would complain about the impact of mild exposure on their romantic relationships. Required showers after work had limited effect.
We had a high-efficiency fume incinerator on plant emissions. That proved to be inadequate, and we later added a high efficiency caustic scrubber upstream of the incinerator.
You missed one very important use of mercaptans, metalic ore floatation. The mercaprans are highly poler ( that is why the smell so bad!!) If you set the pH just right, they will stick to, say, Lead ore, but not Zn ore. The other end gloms on to a passing bubble and foams to the top of the bath. This process is used in the refining of many metals. Chuck Dohogne
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