Signs and symptoms observed after acute exposure at 100-500 ppm include ocular and respiratory tract irritation, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, loss of equilibrium, memory loss, olfactory paralysis, loss of consciousness, tremors, and convulsions (ATSDR 2006).
What are the symptoms of H2S exposure?
Symptoms of acute exposure include nausea, headaches, delirium, disturbed equilibrium, tremors, skin and eye irritation, and convulsions . Inhaling high concentrations can produce extremely rapid unconsciousness and death.
What are the effects of hydrogen sulfide on the body?
Moderate concentrations can cause more severe eye and respiratory irritation (including coughing, difficulty breathing, accumulation of fluid in the lungs), headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting , staggering and excitability. Hydrogen sulfide is heavier than air and may travel along the ground.
What happens if you breathe hydrogen sulfide?
The health effects of hydrogen sulfide depend on how much H2S a worker breathes and for how long. However, many effects are seen even at low concentrations. Effects range from mild, headaches or eye irritation, to very serious, unconsciousness and death .
How are people exposed to hydrogen sulfide?
According to the Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry, people who work in certain industries can be exposed to higher levels of hydrogen sulfide than the general population. These industries include mining, pulp and paper mills, petroleum and natural gas drilling operations, and sewage treatment plants .
How do you test for hydrogen sulfide poisoning?
Specific tests for the presence of hydrogen sulfide in blood and urine generally are not useful to the doctor. If a severe exposure has occurred, blood and urine analyses and other tests may show whether the brain, nerves, heart, or kidneys have been injured.
What should you do if you are exposed to hydrogen sulfide?
Treatment. Those exposed to H2S gas should remove themselves from the toxic environment immediately . Rescuers need to take caution when approaching victims who cannot evacuate independently, as to not be harmed themselves by H2S exposure.
How long does hydrogen sulfide stay in your system?
People are normally exposed to hydrogen sulfide in air by breathing it in or by skin/eye contact. Any absorbed hydrogen sulfide does not accumulate in the body as it is rapidly metabolised in the liver and excreted in the urine. Hydrogen sulfide usually breaks down in air in about 3 days and is dispersed by wind.
How do you monitor for hydrogen sulfide while on the job?
Test (monitor) the air for hydrogen sulfide. This must be done by a qualified person. Use the right test equipment, such as an electronic meter that detects hydrogen sulfide gas. Conduct air monitoring prior to and at regular times during any work activity where hydrogen sulfide exposure is possible.
How do you get rid of hydrogen sulfide?
Hydrogen sulfide may be reduced or removed by shock chlorination, water heater modification, activated carbon filtration, oxidizing filtration or oxidizing chemical injection . Often treatment for hydrogen sulfide is the same as for iron and manganese, allowing the removal of all three contaminants in one process.
Can hydrogen sulfide make you sick?
However, at higher levels, your nose can become overwhelmed by the gas and you cannot smell it. At higher levels, hydrogen sulfide gas can make you sick and could be fatal.
Can smelling raw sewage make you sick?
Hydrogen sulfide gas is also known as “sewer gas” because it is often produced by the breakdown of waste material. At low levels, hydrogen sulfide gas has a strong odor similar to rotten eggs. ... At higher levels, hydrogen sulfide gas can make you sick and could be fatal.
How exposure to hydrogen sulfide affects you depends on?
Workers are primarily exposed to hydrogen sulfide by breathing it. The effects depend on how much hydrogen sulfide you breathe and for how long . Exposure to very high concentrations can quickly lead to death. Odor threshold (when rotten egg smell is first noticeable to some).
How much hydrogen sulfide is in a fart?
More than just smelly, hydrogen sulfide, the chemical compound responsible for the rotten-egg aroma, is deadly if inhaled at doses of more than 700 parts per million. (Thankfully, a bout of flatulence contains just . 001 to 1 ppm sulfide .)
What is the emergency procedure if a hydrogen sulfide solution contacts your skin?
Skin Contact: Liquefied gas: quickly remove victim from source of contamination . DO NOT attempt to rewarm the affected area on site. DO NOT rub area or apply direct heat. Gently remove clothing or jewelry that may restrict circulation.
What does hydrogen sulfide smell like?
Hydrogen sulfide is a colorless, flammable gas that smells like rotten eggs at low concentration levels in the air. It is commonly known as sewer gas, stink damp, and manure gas. At high concentration levels, it has a sickening sweet odor.
