Naked Science Forum

General Science => General Science => Topic started by: stana on 06/01/2008 22:39:18

Title: Does egg contain sulphur?
Post by: stana on 06/01/2008 22:39:18

Hey guys. I was wondering. Someone had set off a stink bomb in town..and it smelled incredibly like rotting eggs. Now..It smelled just like sulpher from the school lab.

Does eggs contain sulpher?
If so..is the sulpher in the egg..the actual chemical sulpher?
Or does it just smell the same?

Thanks

Title: Re: Does egg contain sulphur?
Post by: Soul Surfer on 06/01/2008 23:29:49

Yes eggs and many other organic compouinds contain sulphur but not as the element but in organic compounds
The smell you are talking about is hydrogen sulphide which is generally asociated with the smell of bad eggs.  It is associated with the bacterial breakdown of the organic compounds.
The actual smell of sulphur itself is to me more like sulphur dioxide which is a sharp acid and choking smell and not as nasty as hydrogen sulphide which is quite poisionous.

Title: Re: Does egg contain sulphur?
Post by: Bored chemist on 07/01/2008 18:52:05

Sulphur is practically involatile at room temperature and therefore has no smell. Traces of it get oxidised and that would explain the smell of SO2.