Hydrogen Sulfide Gas Detectors (H2S Detector)
The use or production of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is widely spread across industries and applications including iron smelters, landfills, food processing plants, and breweries. Nuclear power plants use hydrogen sulfide to produce heavy water, an alternative to regular water that enables nuclear reactors to use ordinary uranium fuel instead of enriched uranium, and farmers use H2S as an agricultural disinfectant. Hydrogen sulfide is highly flammable, explosive, and extremely toxic. To accurately monitor the many areas where this gas can pose a hazard, Industrial Scientific offers a variety of H2S gas detectors, including the Ventis® Pro Series, the Ventis® MX4, and the MX6 iBrid® personal multi-gas detectors, the Tango™ TX1, and GasBadge® Pro single-gas monitors, the Radius® BZ1 Area Monitor, and the T40 Rattler®, a low-cost, maintenance-free single gas detector for use in the most extreme conditions.
Related Gas Detectors - Hydrogen Sulfide
Hydrogen Sulfide - H2S
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Hazard: |
Flammable |
Will explode; LEL 4.0% |
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Classification: |
Health |
Extremely toxic |
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Synonyms: |
Hydrosulfuric acid, sewer gas, sour gas, rotten egg smell |
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Exposure limits: |
(OSHA) |
PEL\TWA: 20 ppm |
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(ACGIH) |
STEL: 5 ppm / 15 min. |
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(OSHA) |
IDLH: 100 ppm / 30 min |
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Industries: |
Oil and Gas industries (complete from drilling to refining), pulp and paper, and wastewater treatment |
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Hydrogen sulfide is a colorless gas that is known by its characteristic rotten egg-like odor. It appears naturally as a byproduct of decomposition. One of the drawbacks to trusting the senses (olfactory) for protection against hydrogen sulfide is that prolonged exposure to the gas renders the sense of smell inoperative.
Hydrogen sulfide is a highly toxic gas. It reacts with the enzymes in the bloodstream which inhibit cell respiration. In other words, high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide can shut off the lungs. Low concentration exposure to the gas can burn the respiratory tract and cause swelling around the eyes.
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Effects of Various H2S Levels |
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Hydrogen Sulfide Level in PPM |
Resulting Conditions on Humans |
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0.13 |
Minimal perceptible odor. |
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4.60 |
Easily detected, moderate odor. |
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10 |
Beginning eye irritation. |
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27 |
Strong, unpleasant odor, but not intolerable. |
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100 |
Coughing, eye irritation, loss of sense of smell after 2 to 5 minutes. |
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200-300 |
Marked conjunctivitis (eye inflammation) and respiratory tract irritation after |
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500-700 |
Loss of consciousness, cessation (stopping or pausing) of respiration, and death. |
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1000-2000 |
Unconsciousness at once, with early cessation of respiration and death in a few minutes. |
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Source: American National Standards Institute (ANSI Standard No. Z37.2-1972) |
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