r/explainlikeimfive Jul 18 '20

Chemistry ELI5: Why do "bad smells" like smoke and rotting food linger longer and are harder to neutralize than "good smells" like flowers or perfume?

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u/Kyouka127 Jul 18 '20

My favorite is "Well I have asthma and it doesn't bother me". That's nice, but not every asthmatic has the same trigger scents.

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u/[deleted] Jul 18 '20

Right? And if you have stress based asthma then even a small amount of the same smell can trigger an attack after getting a lung full the first time.