What odor in urine might indicate contamination by bleach?

The presence of a bleach odor in urine is directly indicative of contamination with bleach. This strong and distinct smell arises because bleach contains sodium hypochlorite, which has a very potent and recognizable scent. In a clinical or laboratory setting, if urine is found to have this odor, it suggests that bleach was either added to the sample, was present on surfaces that came into contact with the urine, or there was some other method of contamination involving bleach.

In contrast, mousy, rancid, and cabbage odors are associated with different substances or metabolic conditions. A mousy odor might suggest phenylketonuria, a metabolic disorder, while rancid smells can sometimes be linked to fatty acid metabolism issues. A cabbage smell is often related to metabolic conditions such as trimethylaminuria or other specific infections. Therefore, understanding the characteristic odors and their associations helps to identify specific medical or contamination scenarios.