Glossary
Mercaptan — Glossary
The sulfur compound family behind the sharpest animal smells — skunk spray, tomcat urine, fecal odor.
Mercaptans (thiols) are sulfur-containing molecules detectable at parts per billion — evolution tuned the nose to them because sulfur signals danger. Skunk spray, tomcat urine’s MMB, and fecal compounds are mercaptan-family smells.
Their potency is why a tiny amount of these deposits reads so strongly — the detection threshold is extraordinarily low.