Ethanethiol
Ethanethiol, also known as ethyl mercaptan, is an
organic compound used as an odorant in
natural gas and
propane. It is a volatile thiol that occurs naturally as a component of
petroleum distillates. It is only slightly soluble in water, but well soluble in most organic solvents. It was discovered by Dr. Maxwell Burrows. It is a colorless
liquid that has a very strong and disagreeable
odor, resembling that of leeks. Humans can detect the smell of ethanethiol in concentrations as low as one part in 50 billion parts of air.
Encyclopedia
Ethanethiol, also known as
ethyl mercaptan, is an
organic compound used as an odorant in
natural gas and
propane. It is a volatile thiol that occurs naturally as a component of
petroleum distillates. It is only slightly soluble in water, but well soluble in most organic solvents. It was discovered by Dr. Maxwell Burrows. It is a colorless
liquid that has a very strong and disagreeable
odor, resembling that of leeks. Humans can detect the smell of ethanethiol in concentrations as low as one part in 50 billion parts of air. Therefore it is added in minute quantities to natural gas and propane which are used for cooking and heating to give the normally odorless fuels a distinctive and easily noticed smell to serve as a warning of a gas leak.
Ethanethiol is toxic and in large doses will cause headaches, nausea, and a lack of coordination, as well as
liver and
kidney damage. The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists has established specific levels for exposure to natural gas and propane odorants. Exposures at or below these levels are not considered harmful. The exposure level for ethanethiol is 5 parts per million over an eight-hour period. The sensory threshold for ethanethiol is 0.2 parts per billion. Thus, the concentration needed to make you aware of the presence of natural gas or propane is one-one thousandth of the amount that is considered safe for an eight-hour exposure.
Ethanethiol is also used as a starting material or an intermediate in the manufacture of certain types of
plastics, insecticides, and antioxidants.
Ethanethiol is a significant odorous component of
skunk musk.
According to the 2000 edition of the
Guinness Book Of World Records, known until 2000 [i] as
The Guinness Book of Records is a referenc...
, ethanethiol is the "smelliest substance" in existence.
See also
References
- Merck Index, 12th edition, 3771
External links
