I was mixing a bag of concrete the other day at work and noticed something very odd. As I mixed the contents with water a strange odor arose… the cement had the same smell as the ‘not so fresh’ odor. (you know, the naughty bits smell) Is there a connection between the two? Are there some chemicals that are present in the concrete that are present in or around the naughty bits, or is it just one weird coincidence?
“I’m not dumb. I just have a command of thoroughly useless information.”
– Calvin and Hobbes
(__) \/-------\ | |-----| |
…c.c…c.c…
The naughty-bits smell is due to numerous compounds, most of which are chemicals known as amines. Similar sorts of amins are found all over nature, and it is entirely possible that similar compounds are present in your cement.
Jason R Remy
“No amount of legislation can solve America’s problems.”
– Jimmy Carter (1980)
Seriously, there are dozens of possibilities, as tiny amounts of these things make different smells. They may not even be amines, I was just taking a stab because amines are some of the common odored compounds. Most bacteria, as well as humans, produce small-chain amines in excretion (urine), such as ammonia, Urea, etc. etc. This is what gives urine that pungent smell. But each person also has their own mostly unique combination of other chemicals, each present in tiny ammounts, which gives everyone their own smell. Not knowing the ingredients in your cement, which is bound to be easier than to identify than any one of the dozens to hundreds of odor causing chemicals present in the average person, it is tough to tell which chemicals are causing you to feel amorous about the concrete.
Jason R Remy
“No amount of legislation can solve America’s problems.”
– Jimmy Carter (1980)
By way of (perhaps) redemption -
Diatomaceous earth (used in many liquid filtering applications) consists primarliy of the skeletons of diatoms, teensy sea creatures. This substance has an extremely funky fishy (there, I said it) smell, and it’s possible your cement has a fair amount of this material mixed in.
You’re all way off! Cowgod, that’s what can happen when you buy cheap, recycled concrete. The smell’s got nothing to do with ‘naughty bits’. Actually, the odor most probably comes from the ground up remains of some mafia double-crosser.