Take A Whiff: PA's Favorite Scent Is Gasoline, According To Study

PENNSYLVANIA — National Perfume Day was April 14, but Pennsylvania residents have their noses searching for something else: the somewhat-sweet and easily-recognizable scent of gasoline according to a recent study.

Coffee and cinnamon are also popular scents in the Keystone State, but the familiar smell of gas takes the top spot for the "most-loved scent" in Pennsylvania, this study says.

BetPennsylvania.com looked at Google search volumes for the most-sought scents in PA, going back to April 2022, for this study.

Keyword search data revealed that PA residents searched for "smell of gasoline" on average 8,280 times per month, much more than they sought scents like fresh Christmas trees or the tantalizing aroma of bacon.

The smell of nail polish is also on the list, as is the aroma of melting chocolate and the scent of a new car.

Though a preference for smelling gasoline may seem strange to some, but there is a chemical component of gasoline (benzene) which gives it that naturally sweet smell. The human nose can detect benzene at 1 part per million in the air, so we are particularly sensitive to this scent according to Discover Magazine.

Benzene is a known carcinogen, though, and is dangerous if you inhale it in high concentrations or are exposed to it for too long: which is why it's not added to after-shave anymore for the sweet scent, reported Discover.

Here are PA's most loved scents, and average monthly searches according to the BetPennsylvania study:

• Smell of gasoline: 8,280
• Smell of coffee: 5,040
• Smell of cinnamon: 4,080
• Smell of a new car: 3,840
• Smell of melting chocolate: 3,600
• Smell of vanilla: 2,880
• Smell of nail polish: 2,640
• Smell of log fires: 2,400
• Smell of Christmas trees: 2,280
• Smell of bacon: 1,920

Discover Magazine also put forward some scientific theories for why people like the smell so much: one is that your brain might link it to happy childhood memories like taking summer road trips, working in the garage, or fueling up the boat.

"When you catch that benzene aroma, it may trigger a cozy, nostalgic feeling linked with a salient memory," the report by Carl Engleking said.

Another theory is that it activates pathways in our bodies which create a euphoric sensation, offering a hit of dopamine.

"Benzene and other hydrocarbons, when inhaled, have a suppressing effect on the nervous system, which results in a temporary, euphoric feeling," wrote Engleking. "It produces a pleasurable sensation that’s not unlike alcohol or a host of other drugs."