Are gas leaks poisonous or toxic? What other hazards are there besides the possibility of explosion and catching fire etc.
2006-12-17 09:38:56 · 8 answers · asked by Tony H 2 in Environment
Natural gas is extremely toxic.
Natural gas has no odor, so the gas companies add stinky mercaptans to it so leaks will be easily detected.
To find out all of the associated hazards, check the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS).
2006-12-17 09:51:26 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Natural gas is NOT toxic. However, if you are breathing a mixture of air and natural gas and the natural gas constitutes more than 25% of the air mixture, it may deprive you of sufficient oxygen to support your ongoing life. You could die from suffocation, but not from any poisonous quality of the natural gas. A far greater danger is that a mixture of air and natural gas becomes explosive with enough natural gas in it, and if that mixture contacts an open flame (such as a pilot light in an appliance) is a spark (such as when a light switch is turned on), a huge explosion can result. They put an odorant (mercaptan) in natural gas to make it smell awful so that if it is leaking into your home, you can smell it. Long before a 25% concentration, the smell would be so bad you'd almost certainly do something about it, hopefully before a massive explosion.
2015-06-02 14:50:58 · answer #2 · answered by Todd 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Natural gas , CH4, methane, has no odor naturally. It has mercaptan, a sulfur compound added so you will smell it if there is a leak. As you said it is explosive and flamable. It is not toxic but deprives you of oxygen.
2006-12-17 09:56:34 · answer #3 · answered by science teacher 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Gas leaks are toxic.Other hazards are Permanent Disability,Disfigurement,Blindness,death,implosion,
2006-12-17 09:45:42 · answer #4 · answered by cdm_md 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
If you are talking about the sort of gas supplied to houses to cook with, yes. In enough concentration, you would be deprived of oxygen, and would suffocate.
2006-12-17 09:47:12 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Natural gas will kill you if inhaled in sufficient amounts.
2006-12-17 09:47:49 · answer #6 · answered by Gene 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Only if you breath it.
2006-12-17 10:04:43 · answer #7 · answered by RCShafer 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yeah ever watch jarhead??
2006-12-17 09:47:48 · answer #8 · answered by bluegrass gal 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋