autumn —
Turn the gush down just a bit ;-)
Hydrogen Sulfide, H2S is pretty much a biocide for all organismic that breathe oxygen. In other words, Hydrogen Sulfide *IS* a powerful poison to dinosaurs and humans. It is likely *one* of the causes of the VERY sudden death of the people in Pompeii, along with heat and suffocation.
The other poster wrote about “low levels” of H2S. H2S is a bad gas and is toxic/harmful in fairly low concentrations, much like Cyanide gas.
But fear not, just cuz you can smell it doesn’t mean you will die.
LOTS of land-based wells in Texas and Louisiana are posted with poison gas signs because the wells produce H2S along with methane and crude.
Don’t fear this stuff in this situation.
LOL organismic (sic) should be organisms.
we regret the error.
There’s been criticism about restrictions on news media and other determined observers who aren’t allowed over or near the spill.
Do you think it’s because of the gasses?
Another dumb question. Patience, please. I’m just trying to understand. (Nice to find someone here with actual knowledge, not just opininon.)
H2S makes gas "sour", right? And "sour" wells are common in the salt domes structures along the Texas/Louisiana coast. Also in the California oil fields, around Bakersfield and even inside L.A. (Signal Hill).
There's even a town in Texas named Sour Lake -- so called because H2S bubbles up thru the lake and the whole area smells like rotten eggs.
It's a poison, to be sure. But, if the concentration is high enough to smell, it's still far from deadly. If it's high enough to knock you out, that's another matter.