Occasionally, after someone's been, there is an awful acrid smell lying about long after them. What causes this? The food that they've eaten? Urea less dilute due to dehydration?
If it helps I've noticed it only with older males.
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Sign up to join this communityOccasionally, after someone's been, there is an awful acrid smell lying about long after them. What causes this? The food that they've eaten? Urea less dilute due to dehydration?
If it helps I've noticed it only with older males.
The odor comes from urea. Urea will slowly undergo displacement to become ammonia, but when it's fresh, it has a strong odor. Other odors do come from food, notably coffee and (in some of the population) asparagus.
awful acrid smell
mentioned by OP, unless the toilet was not flushed.
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Jun 28, 2017 at 12:56
Urea could be one. Also, be aware that there are other sources of urine. Asparagus is a famous one. I am still amused because I once thought something was really off with me ( a male, not older yet) when my urine smelled. I panicked and then found out that it was because I had consumed asparagus in a prior meal.
I am not sure if urine starts smelling differently in certain older males, but take diet into consideration.
Urine on the ground smells when there is no rain. Water evaporates, but solutes in it do not. Rain washes solutes deeper into the ground.
In the urine of a healthy person it is urea and bilirubin that smell.
Other causes of smelly urine:
Here's one source: http://www.healthline.com/health/urine-odor#Diet