Why does microwaving fish smell so bad?
Next time your colleague funks up the break room, consider leaving a passive aggressive copy of this article nearby, so they can understand the chemistry involved.
Microwaving fish can create an unpleasant smell due to several chemical reactions that take place during the process. One key contributor to the fishy odor is trimethylamine, a chemical that is naturally present in fish flesh and is converted into an even smellier compound called trimethylamine when exposed to bacteria. This transformation is more likely to occur in fish that has been stored for a longer period of time, or in fish with higher fat content like salmon or mackerel.
When fish is microwaved, the uneven heating caused by the polar molecules present in fish results in localized hotspots that can easily trigger lipid degradation and oxidation. This process releases small molecules into the air, which are more easily detected by our sense of smell. Moreover, the steam generated during the heating process carries these volatile odor compounds out of the fish more rapidly than during conventional heating methods.
The microwave oven itself also plays a role in the smelly outcome, as it heats polar molecules unevenly. The rapid and direct heating can cause the fish to reach temperatures high enough to accelerate the release of the unpleasant smelling compounds. Consequently, break rooms are often insufficiently ventilated to handle the sudden and intense influx of volatile aromas, leading to an unpleasant environment for colleagues who are forced to endure the smell.
Written by urgent.news from The Conversation AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
