# What does fluorine smell like? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 29, 2016, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-fluorine-smell-like/747497 "2016-02-29T13:55:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2016, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-fluorine-smell-like/747497/1 "2016-02-29T13:55:00Z")
Unusual question, I know - and the answer includes “you don’t want to know” and “why in the world do you think you could be smelling fluorine?” But I have my reasons. I’m going to try to describe the smells of the halogens I know. I think there is a common sharp, piercing scent or sensation that is common to all of them. I think chlorine smells a bit rotten and ugly. I think bromine smells a bit more woody or nutty. I think iodine smells a bit more earthy like early Spring thaw. So, I smelled something in a situation where there could have been free fluorine or HF, and it had the piercing commonality I recognize in the bigger quieter halogens, and it additionally had a sort of floral or ethereal note. In this situation I don’t think there was any reason to smell anything besides fluorine compounds. I noted that I did NOT suffer any ill effects. There was a bit of a safety issue there that is getting dealt with. What say the dopers? Could this possibly have been fluorine? ---
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2016, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-fluorine-smell-like/747497/2 "2016-02-29T14:15:35Z")
> [@Napier](#): > > There was a bit of a safety issue there that is getting dealt with. You don’t say. ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2016, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-fluorine-smell-like/747497/3 "2016-02-29T15:10:36Z")
We don’t know, and we likely will never know. We only know what burned up nose hairs and fluorinated mucus smell like ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2016, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-fluorine-smell-like/747497/4 "2016-02-29T15:36:16Z")
Oh, well, now, come on. Chlorine is almost as nasty, and in the same ways, and nearly everybody knows that that smells like. I had a friend who worked in plants that handled free fluorine, back in the 50’s, and he did talk about the signs it was leaking and, I think, what it smelled like. I just don’t remember. He’s been dead, lo, these ten years. But there must be people around who know… ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2016, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-fluorine-smell-like/747497/5 "2016-02-29T15:59:24Z")
It smells like your nose is on fire. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2016, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-fluorine-smell-like/747497/6 "2016-02-29T16:02:08Z")
I do know that some nitrogen triodide crystals will clear your sinuses right up… ---
**Author:** ![minor\_details](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/74df32/32.png) [@minor\_details](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor_details)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2016, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-fluorine-smell-like/747497/7 "2016-02-29T17:19:14Z")
It could have been fluorine. The one time I smelled it (a gas transfer line hadn’t been properly pumped out before we disconnected it), the closest analogy I could think of was that it smelled a bit like asparagus (seriously), and not as sharp as chlorine. YMMV - just smelled it the one time, and the smell may well depend on the concentration, and I don’t plan to repeat the experiment… ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2016, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-fluorine-smell-like/747497/8 "2016-02-29T17:37:01Z")
[This guy](http://www.firstnerve.com/2012/07/hey-whos-up-for-sniffing-some-elemental.html) has evidently tried it but his description is less than helpful (a “stench”). He does note it smells decidedly different from chlorine and ozone. But [JesstheChemist](http://prospect.rsc.org/blogs/cw/2015/02/16/the-scent-of-science-our-guest-bloggers-memorable-smells/) says “it is hard to describe the smell of fluorine, but it is unpleasant and vaguely smells like a mixture of ozone and chlorine…and remarkably offensive.” > [@Napier](#): > > Chlorine is almost as nasty, and in the same ways, and nearly everybody knows that that smells like. Almost as nasty in the same way a poodle is almost as nasty as a wolf. They can both bite you, but my odds of survival are a little better with the poodle. I did research in a p-chem lab for a couple of years with some nasty chemicals, and fluorine gas and HF acid were the only ones that really scared me. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2016, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-fluorine-smell-like/747497/9 "2016-02-29T18:55:18Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > I do know that some nitrogen triodide crystals will clear your sinuses right up… No, nitrogen triodide is a extremely sensitive contact explosive, that would be dangerous. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2016, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-fluorine-smell-like/747497/10 "2016-02-29T18:57:30Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > No, nitrogen triodide is a extremely sensitive contact explosive, that would be dangerous. It also makes a very loud whooshing sound… And am the only one that sees Jessthechemist as JESUSthechemist? Not that that wouldn’t be totally cool. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2016, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-fluorine-smell-like/747497/11 "2016-02-29T19:32:42Z")
Jesus the chemist – or whatever his name is – calls up ozone as a note in the smell. And I think that is a good way to describe what I smelled. Ozone is sweet, floral. In an itchy, you’re under attack kind of way. This makes me think I probably actually _did_ smell some fluorine, though at a very low level. I started shopping for stinkspar but the first couple hits didn’t sound that available. Will go shopping later. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2016, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-fluorine-smell-like/747497/12 "2016-02-29T19:56:47Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > No, nitrogen triodide is a extremely sensitive contact explosive, that would be dangerous. But aren’t you DrDeth? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2016, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-fluorine-smell-like/747497/13 "2016-02-29T20:17:18Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > But aren’t you DrDeth? Very hard to animate undead with their heads blown off.😛 ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-fluorine-smell-like/747497/14 "2016-03-01T03:47:07Z")
Googling fluorine + smell mostly gets me vague answers like “pungent”, and “strong”, for [example](http://www.chemistryexplained.com/elements/C-K/Fluorine.html): > [@](#): > > Fluorine has a strong and characteristic odor that can be detected in very small amounts, as low as 20 parts per billion. This property is very helpful to those who work with fluorine. It means that the gas can be detected and avoided in case it leaks into a room. I did find one slightly more specific [anonymous answer](http://www.firstnerve.com/2012/07/hey-whos-up-for-sniffing-some-elemental.html) of “like chlorine, but sharper”. > [@](#): > > Anonymous said… > > ``` > First thing any budding fluorine chemist should do is get to know what it smells like (kind of like chlorine, but sharper). > > In VERY VERY dilute concentrations, it does not kill you or prevent you from smelling again. Too large of a whiff can have SEVERE consequences though. > > ``` ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-fluorine-smell-like/747497/15 "2016-03-01T17:45:07Z")
Isn’t that the refrigerant used in cars? That smells like fresh cut grass. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-fluorine-smell-like/747497/16 "2016-03-01T18:29:50Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > Isn’t that the refrigerant used in cars? That smells like fresh cut grass. In the past they used a fluorine\* based \*refrigerant, but not straight fluorine. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-fluorine-smell-like/747497/17 "2016-03-01T18:57:12Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > Isn’t that the refrigerant used in cars? That smells like fresh cut grass. It has fluorine in it, like water has hydrogen in it. And they’re about as different as water and hydrogen. ---
**Author:** ![Ignotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecc23a/32.png) [@Ignotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignotus)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-fluorine-smell-like/747497/18 "2016-03-01T19:55:04Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > JesstheChemist says “it is hard to describe the smell of fluorine, but it is unpleasant and vaguely smells like a mixture of ozone and chlorine…and remarkably offensive.” This seems very likely, as it would actually _produce_ some ozone on reaction with water, like in the mucous membranes of the nose. Really, I don’t think many people have smelled ozone either, and better not: it’s about ten times as poisonous as hydrogen cyanide… ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-fluorine-smell-like/747497/19 "2016-03-01T20:01:35Z")
> [@Ignotus](#): > > This seems very likely, as it would actually _produce_ some ozone on reaction with water, like in the mucous membranes of the nose. > Really, I don’t think many people have smelled ozone either, and better not: it’s about ten times as poisonous as hydrogen cyanide… I thought you could smell ozone all the time…a big thunderstorm…hanging around somewhere where sparks were flying…I thought THAT unique smell WAS ozone. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-fluorine-smell-like/747497/20 "2016-03-01T20:46:37Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > I thought you could smell ozone all the time…a big thunderstorm…hanging around somewhere where sparks were flying…I thought THAT unique smell WAS ozone. Yes. I haven’t ever smelled it in a thunder storm, but working with high voltage equipment and electrostatic machines like van der Graaf generators and Wimshurst machines, or petting cats in the winter, it’s not at all unusual to smell it. I think smelling tiny traces of extremely toxic substances isn’t that big a deal. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-fluorine-smell-like/747497.md?page=2)