Hydrogen Sulfide Soil Gas

Hydrogen Sulfide Soil Gas (In Natural Gas)

Hydrogen Sulfide: Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) soil gas geologically occurs upon the thermal and microbial decomposition of subsurface organic material deposits. It is typically identifiable in biogenic and petrogenic natural gas sources, along with higher concentrations of methane soil gas. Additionally, nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, ethane, and isobutane exist within natural gas deposits. Hydrogen Sulfide soil gas has a rotten egg odor that commonly occurs amongst petroleum deposits, volcano craters, surfacing tar pits, and more.

What Does Hydrogen Sulfide do to the Body?

General symptoms of hydrogen sulfide exposure can include dizziness, nausea, and headaches. And a high concentration in a breathing zone can cause respiratory failure and asphyxiation issues. In fact, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports a permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 10 parts per million by volume (ppm) in worker breathing spaces. Whereas any concentration exceeding this PEL is unsafe.

Other Exposure Hazards

Within minutes of a person’s exposure to hydrogen sulfide, their ability to detect its odor can quickly diminish. As a result, the danger further lies with the hazards of other associated gases, as well as the lack of oxygen. For instance, a house overlaying a Los Angeles Methane Zone without a vapor barrier may have trace amounts of hydrogen sulfide and combustible methane soil gas in the lowest occupied space. And methane gas is odorless and colorless. Thus, the only human indication of natural gas intrusion is the temporary hydrogen sulfide odor. If people within the house no longer smell that odor, they may also believe the methane soil gas hazard is mitigated, under false pretenses.

Related Posts:

Similar Posts

  • Thermosphere

    ByGeo Forward

    Thermosphere Thermosphere: The thermosphere of a terrestrial planet is the fourth and final member of the atmosphere. On Earth, the thermosphere starts atop the mesosphere at approximately 85 kilometers above mean sea level. The upper limit of the thermosphere is reasonably presumed to terminate approximately 95 kilometers above mean sea level. In fact, most of…

  • Milliequivalent per liter

    ByGeo Forward

    Milliequivalent per liter Milliequivalent per liter (meq/L): A unit used to express the chemical equivalence of the concentration of solutes in a solution. It is calculated by dividing the concentration of a substance (in mg/L) by its equivalent weight. This measurement helps in understanding the reactive capacity of ions in the solution.

  • Phaneritic

    ByGeo Forward

    Phaneritic Definition In geology, the term Phaneritic applies to the texture of an igneous rock. A phaneritic plutonic rock has grains that are large enough to be seen with the naked eye. In fact, this indicates there was a slower rate of magmatic cooling.

  • Mechanical Extraction System

    ByGeo Forward

    Mechanical Extraction System Mechanical Extraction System: Per the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) Methane Code, Ordinance Number 175790, a Mechanical Extraction System is one of the Active Methane Mitigation criteria for methane mitigation systems in buffer zones and methane zones.  A mechanical extraction system uses machines that remove methane gas from below…

  • Silicates

    ByGeo Forward

    Silicates Definition In the fields of geology and mineralogy, the term “silicates” refers to compounds whose crystal structure contains SiO4 tetrahedra. Silicates are either isolated or joined to form groups, rings, single or double chains, sheets, or three-dimensional frameworks.

  • Lithosphere

    ByGeo Forward

    Lithosphere Lithosphere: The lithosphere comprises the Earth’s crust as well as part of the upper mantle. In fact, the lithosphere is approximately 100 kilometers thick and is relatively strong as compared to the underlying asthenosphere.