The most likely scenario for the strong “gas smell” detected in parts of Athens on May 19 points to a ship in the sea area southeast of Salamina, according to an inside story report based on analysis by the AtmoHub team of the National Observatory of Athens.
The incident caused concern among residents from the southern suburbs to the city center, with reports of a smell resembling gas and evacuations of some spaces. However, there is still no official and definitive answer on the source of the odor, as no air sample was taken while the phenomenon was underway.
The investigation was carried out by the AtmoHub team, the national atmospheric monitoring hub coordinated by the National Observatory of Athens.
AtmoHub’s analysis was based on 164 citizen reports collected by Civil Protection, meteorological data, and gas-mass dispersion models. According to the findings presented by inside story, the likely area of origin is located in the Saronic Gulf, southeast of Salamina. The smell may be linked to mercaptans, sulfur-containing compounds added to odorless gases such as propane or butane so that possible leaks can be detected.
Scientists stress, however, that without chemical sampling, there can be no certainty about the composition of the substance. Monitoring stations did not record unusual values for regulated pollutants, but they are not designed to detect every possible chemical compound.
The incident highlights an institutional gap: research centers have the expertise and equipment, but there is no clear operational protocol for an immediate scientific response to such unknown atmospheric episodes.
Source: inside story
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