- Home
- Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S)
Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S)
Characteristics of Hydrogen Sulfide
- Colorless
- Smells like "rotten eggs" (at low concentrations)
- Heavier than air
- Corrosive
- Flammable (LEL is 4.3 %)
- Soluble in water
- Extremely toxic!
Hydrogen Sulfide
- Produced by anaerobic sulfate-reducing bacteria
- Especially associated with:
- Raw sewage
- Crude oil
- Marine sediments
- Tanneries
- Pulp and paper industry
Characteristics of Hydrogen Sulfide
- Half-life in air = 12 to 37 hours
- Eventually breaks down in sunlight
- During very cold and dry conditions, half-life can exceed 37 hours
- Particularly dangerous in oil production areas subject to cold winter temperatures
- Collects in pits, within protective berms, or in other low lying areas
Characteristics of Hydrogen Sulfide
- Mitochondrial poison that prevents utilization of oxygen during cellular respiration, shutting down power source for many cellular processes
- Also binds to hemoglobin in red blood cells, interfering with oxygen transport
- Exposure primarily by inhalation, but can also occur by ingestion (contaminated food) and skin (water and air)
- Once in body, rapidly distributed to central nervous system, lungs, liver, muscle and other organs
Toxic effects H2S
| >1.0 PPM | Smell |
| 100 PPM | Rapid loss of smell |
| 200
|
