Methane dissolved in water will cause which taste?

Methane dissolved in water will cause which taste?

• A. Musty taste
• B. Garlic-like taste
• C. Moldy taste
• D. No taste at all

Answer: (B)

The main idea is that tastes and odors in water come from volatile compounds dissolved in or released from the water. Methane itself doesn’t have a strong taste, but when methane is present in water it’s often alongside sulfur-containing compounds produced by microbes or other reactions. Those sulfur compounds—such as methanethiol or related organosulfur compounds—give a garlic-like flavor to the water. So, a garlic-like taste is the best descriptor for water with dissolved methane because it reflects the common association between methane-impacted water and sulfur compounds, rather than a musty or moldy taste (which come from different contaminants) or no taste at all (which would suggest a lack of detectable volatile compounds).

The main idea is that tastes and odors in water come from volatile compounds dissolved in or released from the water. Methane itself doesn’t have a strong taste, but when methane is present in water it’s often alongside sulfur-containing compounds produced by microbes or other reactions. Those sulfur compounds—such as methanethiol or related organosulfur compounds—give a garlic-like flavor to the water. So, a garlic-like taste is the best descriptor for water with dissolved methane because it reflects the common association between methane-impacted water and sulfur compounds, rather than a musty or moldy taste (which come from different contaminants) or no taste at all (which would suggest a lack of detectable volatile compounds).