What is Sulfide?
Also spelled Sulphide, it is any of three classes of chemical
compounds containing the element sulfur. The most common being
Hydrogen sulfide.
Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) occurs naturally in crude petroleum, natural
gas, volcanic gases, and hot springs. It can also result from
bacterial breakdown of organic matter. It is also produced by
human and animal wastes. Bacteria found in your mouth and gastrointestinal
tract produce hydrogen sulfide from bacteria decomposing materials
that contain vegetable or animal proteins. Hydrogen sulfide can
also result from industrial activities, such as food processing,
coke ovens, kraft paper mills, tanneries, and petroleum refineries.
Hydrogen sulfide is a flammable, colorless gas with a characteristic
odor of rotten eggs. It is commonly known as hydrosulfuric acid,
sewer gas, and stink damp. People can smell it at low levels.
Hydrogen sulfide is also produced by human activities. Just a
few breaths of air containing high levels of hydrogen sulfide
gas can cause death. Lower, longer-term exposure can cause eye
irritation, headache, and fatigue. Hydrogen sulfide has been found
in at least 35 of the 1,689 National Priorities List sites identified
by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
How might I be exposed to hydrogen sulfide?
- You may be exposed to hydrogen sulfide from breathing contaminated
air or drinking contaminated water.
- Individuals living near a wastewater treatment plant, a gas
and oil drilling operation, a farm with manure storage or livestock
confinement facilities, or a landfill may be exposed to higher
levels of hydrogen sulfide.
- You can be exposed at work if you work in the rayon textiles,
petroleum and natural gas drilling and refining, or wastewater
treatment industries. Workers on farms with manure storage pits
or landfills can be exposed to higher levels of hydrogen sulfide.
- A small amount of hydrogen sulfide is produced by bacteria
in your mouth and gastrointestinal tract.
How can hydrogen sulfide affect my health?
Exposure to low concentrations of hydrogen sulfide may cause
irritation to the eyes, nose, or throat. It may also cause difficulty
in breathing for some asthmatics. Brief exposures to high concentrations
of hydrogen sulfide (greater than 500 ppm) can cause a loss of
consciousness and possibly death. In most cases, the person appears
to regain consciousness without any other effects. However, in
many individuals, there may be permanent or long-term effects
such as headaches, poor attention span, poor memory, and poor
motor function. No health effects have been found in humans exposed
to typical environmental concentrations of hydrogen sulfide (0.00011–0.00033
ppm).
Water containing hydrogen sulfide usually does not pose a health
risk, but does give water a nuisance "rotten egg" smell
and taste. Water supplies with as little as 1.0 ppm (part per
million) hydrogen sulfide are corrosive, may tarnish copper and
silverware, and occasionally release a black material that stains
laundry and porcelain.
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