What happens to helium balloons when the float off into the air?

Answer 1

Actually, helium balloons are carried away by air and wind currents and eventually sink back down but, unfortunately, many of them end up in a body of water or some other wildlife habitat where they are ingested by animals. That is why it is a bad choice to release balloons into the sky - many of them end up hundreds of miles away in oceans or rivers, and they are eaten by marine life that mistake them for jellyfish or a tasty tidbit. Sea turtles and sea birds in particular end up dying when the plastic balloon obstructs their digestive tract. Land birds often use the plastic balloon strings to line their nests, and that can have bad consequences for the baby birds who get tangled in them.

Answer 2

Helium balloons won't float incredibly high, but as they ascend, the atmospheric pressure on it decreases. This means that the balloon will expand as it rises. This will allow a slightly greater rate of diffusion of the helium through the latex membrane of the balloon.

Eventually, when enough helium diffuses out of the balloon, the density of the gas in the balloon will become equal to the density of the gas outside the balloon, and the weight of the balloon will cause it to return to earth.

Answer 3

Eventually the helium leaks out and the balloon falls.

Helium is very hard to contain. Most latex balloons will deflate to the point of falling in less than 24 hours.

The end result is litter.

Answer 4

They go high enough that the balloon will bust and fall.