Almond Smell Means Don’t Trust Your Nose

If you notice a bitter almond smell around chemicals or smoke, treat it as a possible toxic warning, but never rely on that odor alone to keep you safe. CDC guidance says cyanide is sometimes described as having a bitter almond smell, yet it does not always give off a noticeable odor, and not everyone can smell it at all. ATSDR adds that the ability to detect that smell is genetically linked, with only about 60 to 70 percent of people able to notice it. That makes cyanide especially dangerous because a deadly exposure can happen even when the air seems normal.

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