Where do smells go? Do the particles just disperse into the air around it?

Question

Where do smells go? Do the particles just disperse into the air around it?

In: Chemistry

Answer 1

Smells aren’t really particles, they’re vapors, molecules like terpenes and hydrocarbons. If they were condensed, they would be fast evaporating liquids. [Limonene](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limonene#:~:text=Limonene%20is%20a%20colorless%20liquid,flavoring%20agent%20in%20food%20manufacturing.) is a good example, it is lemon scent. [Skatole](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skatole) is another example, it is the main component of the smell of human shit.

They disperse into the atmosphere, and they eventually break down; they form smog (reactive chemical species that harm the lungs) before they break down. [Here’s an article about trees that release organic compounds that break down to ozone](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-paradox-of-pollution-producing-trees/). Those organic compounds re similar to the things the nose perceives as smells.