Have you been a victim of a butyric acid attack?AKUT SOS CLEAN helps quickly and safely!

Butanoic acid, also known as butyric acid or n-butyric acid, is a short-chain fatty acid with the chemical formula C₄H₈O₂.

• Chemical formula: C₃H₇COOH
• Boiling point: approx. 163.75 °C
• Very strong, pungent smell
• Naturally occurring in foods
• Often used for targeted odor attacks

Butyric acid is characterised by its intense odour — resembling a mixture of rancid butter and vomit — by its water solubility, which is at the same time a major hazard, by the flammability of its vapour, and by its sour, burning taste. If butyric acid reaches the skin, it attacks and destroys it instantly.

Almost 200 years ago, the chemist Théophile-Jules Pelouze found that the smell of butyric acid strongly resembled a combination of rich butter and acetic acid. That description flatters butanoic acid, which in reality smells very strongly of vomit and rancid butter.

Good to know: When we suffer from body odour, butyric acid is partly to blame. It is also behind some forms of bad breath.

The smell of butyric acid is extremely unpleasant and triggers a strong gag reflex in many of those affected. The stench after such an attack is almost unbearable.

Butyric acid stinks for as long as you let it. The odour is genuinely stubborn, and it is hard to imagine anyone affected not taking action. Butyric acid has the unpleasant habit of spreading into the tiniest cracks and lodging there. It is a highly mobile acid.

When it is used in the garden, for example to drive off moles, certain bacteria gradually break the butyric acid down and the smell disappears.

In your car or indoors, that does not happen so readily. This calls for special cleaning agents that contain bioactive microorganisms.

With butyric acid, most people first think of that unpleasant, pungent butyric-acid smell reminiscent of vomit. Unfortunately, that is not the only dangerous thing about it.

Butyric acid is clear, water-soluble and, above all, highly corrosive. As strange as it may sound, its water solubility is in fact almost the greatest danger here. You must avoid inhaling it and any contact with the skin. Even the smallest amounts are extremely corrosive, with all the associated health risks.

Health risks at a glance:

• Inhaling butyric acid vapors is extremely irritating to the respiratory tract. It can cause nausea and vomiting.
• Sometimes severe attacks of dizziness are also possible.
• The sense of smell and taste may be impaired for several days.
• A dry cough may occur.
• The bronchi and lung tissue can be damaged.
• It is possible that moderate skin irritation may occur.
• Severe chemical burns can occur.

Whether an insurer covers the cost of dealing with a butyric-acid attack depends on the individual case. In many cases, contents or buildings insurance can step in, especially where there is demonstrable damage.

It is important to document the incident quickly and report it to your insurer. Insurers often require proof of the damage as well as professional cleaning.

Good to know: We also handle the billing with your insurer — and, where needed, support you with the relevant documentation for your insurance claim.

Given that butyric acid poses a health hazard, everyone should first ask themselves whether they personally have sufficient expertise in self-protection and the necessary handling skills. Certain building materials and locations always require an expert — as do public facilities, rooms housing people in care, premises with public footfall, and cases involving a substantial quantity of the substance.

Important: never start straight away with water and cleaning products! Remember: the water solubility of butyric acid is one of the greatest dangers of this substance.

Butyric acid cannot be removed with water or with conventional cleaning products. Nor is there any special cleaning agent that can remove butyric acid completely. And air purifiers are of no use either if you have fallen victim to a butyric-acid attack.

Instead, it is essential to identify each of the acid esters involved, determine the acidity, and then neutralise every butyric-acid spot. Is there no alternative? There is — you could strip your property back to the shell or scrap your vehicle. But we can surely agree that doing so is not only very time-consuming and costly, but also far from appealing. Especially since, even with a complete strip-out, there is still the risk that a butyric-acid spot has been missed.

By trying to clean with water, air purifiers or other means, you spread the acid over a larger area and make professional butyric-acid neutralisation harder. That makes it more difficult for us professionals to rid your affected rooms or your car of the butyric-acid spots quickly. The sooner you call us for help, the sooner the affected area is usable again.

The AKUT SOS CLEAN team uses biological active agents that neutralise butyric acid. This lets us quickly make your car, office or home butyric-acid-free again. Financial losses for businesses are kept to a minimum, and there is no need to fear any harm to health.

We eliminate all odour contamination, not just after butyric-acid attacks — whether your vehicle, an interior or an exterior surface is affected.