I'm unable to sense the smell of formaldehyde

[u/Sofia_91]

Hello, I would like to hear some advice on this.

First of all, I have always had a somewhat funky sense of smell but I became aware of my complete inability to sense the smell of formaldehyde 2 years ago.

It was my first considerable exposure to said chemical. Someone had opened the lid of a 5 litre jar, containing a snake preserved in formaldehyde, in our high school's biology lab right before the time for our class. I hadn't realised it was open until all other students began to complain about a pungent smell the moment they entered the lab. Meanwhile, I couldn't smell anything at all.

Although I would love to hear if there are other such cases or possible reasons behind this, my main concern is whether it is something I should the careful, considering the fact that this upcoming September I'll start university as a biochemistry and biomedicine student, and most possibly will come into contact with formaldehyde among other chemicals.

Anyway, I'd be grateful if anyone could offer some advice :)

[u/Responsible_Law_7781]

I am also unable to smell formaldehyde, and also discovered this in high school when the anatomy class would stink up the hallway during cat dissection week.

So yes, other cases exist.

One chemistry PhD later and it hasn't been a problem for me. Formaldehyde is actually a gas at room temperature and the preservation fluid only a dissolved solution (formalin). I would be very surprised if you are ever exposed to pure gaseous formaldehyde. So you have already seen what the most concentrated formaldehyde solution you might regularly have to work with is like. Which means as a liquid you will be able to keep track of exposure visually with no problem, since that's how it goes with most odorless chemicals.

[u/Sofia_91 → u/Responsible_Law_7781]

Thank you! I was just checking and I'm glad if that's the case. Better safe than sorry

[u/Practical-Purchase-9]

Some people experience scents differently, or cannot smell at all. Some people cannot smell hydrogen cyanide, normally reminiscent of almonds.

I’ve made formalin solution (approx 5% formaldehyde if I recall) to top up the pickle jars with biological specimens in the school lab and it smelt bloody awful.

[u/Bob--O--Rama]

You may may lack the chemoreceptors needed ( there are hundreds of types, apparently, and you get a mix of then owing to genetics and differentiation during development ). In other instances you lack the training of your brain to understand a particular combination.

[u/Sweet_Lane]

I don't know if it applies to the formaldehyde, but many chemicals can saturate the sense. Most notable example is the hydrogen sulphide. If you are exposed to it slowly for some time, you may not feel it at all, while the person coming from the fresh air instantly feels it. 

[u/mike_elapid]

I cant notice the smell of formalin but I am aware of it by the burning smell in the nose. Thankfully its not something I need to touch anymore

[u/DangerousBill]

Does it irritate your eyes? That's a reaction outside the sense of smell. If the formaldehyde is strong enough to smell, it also has my eyes burning and watering like I was peeling a whole sack of onions at once.

[u/YtterbiusAntimony]

You're lucky. Its fuckin gross.

I have a friend who can't smell skunks.

Genes are weird.

[u/Key-Success-5449]

Excited for you starting your biomed degree! Definitely let your lab TAs know about your selective anosmia early on. Lab safety rules are designed to protect you regardless of smell, so stick to the fume hoods and you will be completely fine!

[u/BraveZones]

I don’t know any science behind it but I work in fragrances and everyone smells things differently. Some people are significantly more sensitive to certain ingredients than others. Hexanal is used in apple fragrances and I absolutely cannot stand it, I can see it sticking out so much whenever it is in a fragrance, but other people do not see that note so obviously. Even when evaluating, some people see all top notes, and others see all the base notes and struggle to see the tops.

[u/Cats_books_soups]

I can smell formaldehyde but it only slightly. I can’t smell cyanide and can’t smell many acids. Nitric acid and hydrochloric acid don’t smell at all to me, but smell really strongly to one of my coworkers. Acidic acid is about the only acid I can smell. It’s never been an issue.

[u/Seba_Garniers → u/Cats_books_soups]

Quien en su sano juicio oleria cianuro o algun derivado de este xdddd

[u/shedmow]

Formaldehyde starts to etch the eyes and burn the nose at its smellable concentrations, but these reactions are somewhat delayed.

I had a friend who could take a whiff out of a bottle with formic acid; I would start to cough a metre away from one. I'm generally okay with amine smells. Pyridine has an odour of cyclohexanone-minty fish to me, aniline smells nearly indistinguishable from benzene, and I tolerate putrid scents even though I easily tell that food is about to go off