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Informal Science Education Network
<[log in to unmask]> writes:
>We need a safe, biologically-inert source of sewer stench for a
>plumbing trap exhibit we're developing.
>
>Seriously.  April Fool's Day isn't for a couple days!
>
>--We've thought about using pretty smells instead, but it just misses
>the point of the exhibit entirely.  We want something that'll make
>people go "EWWWWWWWWW!"

You have the greatest subject line ever...and it's not even spam email!!

We have a small portion of our Solar System gallery devoted to Jupiter's
moon Io, the famous sulfur-covered "pizza-looking" moon.  As a nice
sensory experience (tiny bit of sarcasm here), we have people sniff what
Io might smell like if you were to go there.  Imagine a rotten-egg moon!

In order to get that great smell, we use a little packet from Chemia
Corporation, www.chemiacorp.com.  It looks a lot like a wet-nap.  Ours is
entitled "Specialty Sulphur Compound Scent Strip" (say that quickly!).  It
contains concentrated oils on a paper-type strip that last for quite a
while.  We put one inside a restaurant-style squeeze bottle filled with
marbles.  The marbles aren't needed for the strip to work, but they keep
the bottle from being squeezed too hard & deformed.  Once the smell dies
down a bit, we just replace it with a new one.  It works great!  The
bottle is attached to a low shelf so it doesn't go anywhere.  And it
doesn't go anywhere - funny, people don't want to try to steal a sulfur
smell squeeze bottle...

From Chemia's website:
Our perfumers have many years of experience in developing new and
innovative fragrances for use in all types of products, including: health
and beauty aid products, air fresheners, aromatherapy products,
institutional products, hard surface cleaners, potpourris, household
products, candles, industrial products and any other application
imaginable. We can custom design any fragrance that you might need. If you
can imagine it, we can create it.

Good luck - heck, they may already have a sewer smell...for all those
sewer smell aromatherapy candles, no doubt. :>)

Michelle

Michelle Nichols, Senior Educator
Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum
1300 S. Lake Shore Dr.
Chicago, IL  60605
312-322-0520
312-322-2257 (fax)
[log in to unmask]
http://www.adlerplanetarium.org

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