if you can smell it, it's already in your lungs

[kachuge]

i'm curious........

if you can smell something, doesn't that mean that you are inhaling it?

if I smell coffee, and I take a deep breath..... aren't those minute particles of coffee going into my lungs?

or what about the other side of the coin...

there are those who say there is no sense of smell, but rather it's taste....

so if I can smell it, am I not also eating it?

I don't know, but it might be fun to discuss after a couple bowls of beans...

any comments? ...or is this just too silly?

g

 

[stevegmu]

I don't think so. I burned some PVC in my extruder at work last week, and while taking out the mandrel caught a whiff of hydrochloric acid gas, which would have put me on the floor had I gotten a lungful...

 

[ScottP]

i'm curious........

if you can smell something, doesn't that mean that you are inhaling it?

if I smell coffee, and I take a deep breath..... aren't those minute particles of coffee going into my lungs?

or what about the other side of the coin...

there are those who say there is no sense of smell, but rather it's taste....

so if I can smell it, am I not also eating it?

I don't know, but it might be fun to discuss after a couple bowls of beans...

any comments? ...or is this just too silly?

g

That is 100% true. If you smell something it is in your lungs. It is not possible to smell something and it not go into your lungs. Unfortunately this does include farts.

 

[ScottP]

I don't think so. I burned some PVC in my extruder at work last week, and while taking out the mandrel caught a whiff of hydrochloric acid gas, which would have put me on the floor had I gotten a lungful...

The nose is sensitive enough to detect smells at fairly low concentrations. Luckily for us in most cases in concentrations lower than what will harm us if we get to fresh air soon enough. Trust me though, if you smelled it, some of it DID get into your lungs.

 

[kachuge]

and then there is the whole second hand smoke thing...........

and what about smelling peanuts when you're allergic?

(it's rare that it can happen as it would require a fair amount of peanut protein in the air..... ie on an Air Canada flight where everybody is simultaneously opening a package of peanuts..... or peanut dust in a sports bar as many people walk around shuffling the shells on the floor)

just sayin........

 

[tidegirl]

That is 100% true. If you smell something it is in your lungs. It is not possible to smell something and it not go into your lungs. Unfortunately this does include farts.

Well, not 100% true. It is possible that you took a breath of less than 150 ml, therefore not inhaling deep enough for it to go to your lungs (dead space ventilation), but it was in your nose so you smell it.

That wouldn't happen on a normal breath, but it is possible.

 

[Bernard Marx]

Unless you are a magician it will go into your lungs.

 

[stevegmu]

I guess Bill Clinton is a magician...

 

[Brend]

Science - olafactory receptors need to smell something in order for taste buds to "taste".
Pinching our nostrils closed to down unpleasant medicine or foods our parents told us was good for us, really does work.

Think particles can get into your nasal cavity/sinuses without entering our lungs.

 

[Ryedan]

I have to agree that if you are really careful you could draw a mouthful of vapor, exhale through your nose and hot inhale any. Well, except for those few molecules that slip by.

Now, "if I can smell it, am I not also eating it" is getting deep. It's too late in the day for me to contemplate this one, but I'll come back in the morning and have a go at it


Or maybe not ...

 

[WattWick]

If you voop it, it's already in your atty

 

[Bunnykiller]

You can smell things and not breathe it into your lungs... such as acid fumes, ammonia, VOC's. In the case of acid fumes you can smell them and if you continue to inhale even deeper you will know instantly that it has gotten into your lungs. A severe coughing fit will occur almost immediately. And as far as tasting, yup that too... you can taste with out eating it ( unless you swallow what you just tasted).

 

[Ryedan]

And as far as tasting, yup that too... you can taste with out eating it ( unless you swallow what you just tasted).

Hmm, you realize once you've tasted it, it's in your saliva, right? So the only way you're not going to eat it is if you don't swallow for a while and get that mouth washed out really, really well, ASAP

 

[Vaslovik]

and then there is the whole second hand smoke thing...........

and what about smelling peanuts when you're allergic?

I hope this is not overly worrying you. I can't see that it's worth worrying about, or even posting about.