The Chicago River Like us, the Chicago River has its good days and not-so-good days. Unlike us, it smells like rotten eggs (or raw sewage) when things get rough.
What does Chicago air smell like?
In 2014, DNAinfo spoke with Ian Petchenik, who started tracking where Chicagoans can smell the Bloomer Chocolate factory each day. Petchenik said the map began as a joke after an out-of-town friend mentioned that she noticed the chocolate smell that permeates the air along the Chicago River.
What is the smell of a river called?
“You recently referred to the odor of methane gas. Methane has no odor. For safety reasons, highly odiferous substances (similar to the essence of skunk, call mercaptans) are always added to fuel supplies to allow people to smell something when gas is leaking.”
Why does the river smell like rotten eggs?
In some parts of the country, drinking water can contain hydrogen sulfide gas, which smells like rotten eggs. This can occur when water comes into contact with organic matter or with certain minerals, such as pyrite. This situation mostly occurs as groundwater filters through organic material or rocks.
Do the bridges in Chicago smell like chocolate?
That thick, sweet, unmistakable odor emanating from Blommer Chocolate Company’s West Loop factory is as quintessentially Chicago as the nearby bascule bridges. The smell was even featured in a 2006 This American Life segment, in which reporter Jorge Just describes the Blommer’s smell as “the smell of magic.”
Why does the Chicago River smell?
In the 1800s, the river was teeming with human waste, as well as animal products from the meat packing industry – causing foul odors to emanate throughout the city. To make things even more challenging, much of Chicago’s drinking water came from these infected waters.
Does Chicago stink?
But however you read the city of Chicago’s odor complaints, one thing is clear: The city stinks. This is never more apparent than on hot summer days.
What is the smell of sperm?
Semen or ‘cum’ is normally a white or grey coloured fluid that carries the sperm. It has a mild chlorine-like smell due to alkaline substances.
What is the smell of death called?
Cadaverine and putrescine smell like rotting flesh.
Why do I smell like sulfur?
Hypermethioninemia is an inherited condition. It occurs when there’s excess amino acid methionine in your blood. A sulfur-like odor often occurs when the methionine isn’t broken down properly within the body. You may also experience breath or sweat that smells like sulfur.
What does Florida smell like?
Some visitors on Florida beaches notice a bad smell, especially in the Florida Keys. It smells like sulfur, sewage, rotten eggs or natural gas. The smell can be overwhelming. The worst time tends to be in hot weather during hot summer months.
Is rotten egg smelling water harmful?
If the sulfur level in your drinking water is not too high, it shouldn’t lead to any health issues. However, too much sulfate could lead to the following problems: Diarrhea and dehydration: Drinking water with a high sulfate content can have a laxative effect and lead to diarrhea, which can then cause dehydration.
What does the ocean smell like?
In low concentrations, these chemicals are described as smelling sealike, fishlike, and crablike. In really high concentrations, they come off as a harsh chemical smell, similar to iodine.
Is the Chicago River polluted?
The Calumet River, along with the lower North Branch of the Chicago River, has been polluted from heavy industry and continues to wrestle with the aftermath of these past and ongoing river uses. Regardless of this variation in uses and history, the whole river system could benefit from being a lot cleaner.
Where can you smell chocolate in Chicago?
Aroma. The factory in the West Loop area of Chicago is known for sending a chocolate aroma into the air. Though the smell is popular among many Chicagoans, in 2006, a nearby condo owner complained to the EPA about the smell, complaining that it violated the Clean Air Act.
Why does it smell like chocolate in West Loop?
West-northwest winds bring the cocoa smell along the river and into the Loop today. The winds will be light, but consistent. Help make the Chicago Chocolate Smell Area map more accurate! If you can smell the Blommer Chocolate Factory, submit a Smell Report here or tweet @ChiCocoaSmell.
Can you drink Chicago tap water?
Just like when it comes to pizza, Chicagoans are as proud of their tap water as New Yorkers. Chicago tap water is generally safe to drink and tastes great. Unfortunately lead is often found and even if it’s usually below regulated levels there is no safe level for children.
Why is Chicago water so good?
Chicago’s water consistently meets all federal state and industry standards for cleanliness and safety. This is because the Department of Water Management performs over 200,000 tests a year on our water throughout the system and adds corrosion control to help prevent contaminants from leaching into the pipes.
How deep is the Chicago River?
21 feet deep
How Deep is the Chicago River? At its deepest point, the Chicago River is 21 feet deep. It runs 156 miles from start to finish, with three main branches — North, Main, and South — along the way.
Why does Chicago smell like onions?
It has been argued that the word Chicago, for example, is actually a French version of the word shikaakwa – or Stink Onions – named after the plants that were once common along the Chicago River.
What is wrong with Chicago water?
More than 100 community drinking water sources in the Chicago suburbs and around the state show contamination from harmful PFAS that can pose serious health threats, records show.