Hydrogen sulfide

Hydrogen sulfide is the chemical compound with the formula H
2
S
. It is a colorless gas with the characteristic foul odor of rotten eggs; it is heavier than air, very poisonous, corrosive, flammable, and explosive.

Hydrogen sulfide often results from the bacterial breakdown of organic matter in the absence of oxygen gas, such as in swamps and sewers; this process is commonly known as anaerobic digestion. H
2
S
also occurs in volcanic gases, natural gas, and in some sources of well water. It is also present in natural halite type rock salts, most notably in Himalayan Black Salt, which is mostly harvested from the mineral-rich Salt Range mountains of Pakistan. The human body produces small amounts of H
2
S
and uses it as a signaling molecule.

Dissolved in water, hydrogen sulfide is known as hydrosulfuric acid or sulfhydric acid, a weak acid.

Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele is credited with having discovered hydrogen sulfide in 1777.

The British English spelling of this compound is hydrogen sulphide, but this spelling is not recommended by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry or the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Podcasts:

PLAYLIST TIME:

Latest News for: hydrogen sulphide

How dramatic daily swings in oxygen shaped early animal life – new study

The Conversation 21 Mar 2025
DesignMarjolein/Shutterstock. Imagine a world where the oxygen you need changes dramatically between day and night ... However, HIF-1α offers resistance to toxins such as hydrogen sulphide, a common byproduct of anoxic conditions ... Barbarajo/Shutterstock ... .

UK MAIB Investigation: Three seafarer lives lost in cargo hold

SAFETY4SEA 20 Mar 2025
The incident  ... RelatedNews. Lessons learned. Take a new look at how work is taking place ... The three stevedores entered a cargo access space adjacent to the coal cargo that had a noxious atmosphere deficient in oxygen and high in hydrogen sulphide ... .

If You Farted In A Jar And Opened It 20 Years Later, Would It Still Smell Of Farts?

IFL Science 19 Mar 2025
"Most gasses produced – like carbon dioxide, nitrogen, hydrogen and methane – don’t smell at all ... It’s called hydrogen sulphide and has the nickname 'rotten egg gas' because that is exactly what it smells like.".

Northwind Midstream expands gas treatment infrastructure in New Mexico, US

Offshore Technology 14 Mar 2025
Northwind is also constructing a natural gas infrastructure system that adheres to National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE) standards and is designed to handle produced natural gas with high levels of carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide ... .

The breakthrough technology reducing greenhouse gas emissions

RTE 11 Mar 2025
Large-scale trials show the application of GasAbate delivers reductions of more than 80% in methane emissions, 50% in ammonia emissions, and cuts dangerous hydrogen sulphide emissions from animal waste and slurry by more than 80%.

The Sneaky SIBO Symptoms That Are Easily Mistaken For Normal Bloating

Vogue 06 Mar 2025
methane-dominant, hydrogen-dominant, and hydrogen sulphide-dominant ... linked to constipations, bloating, slow digestion and weight gain.Hydrogen-dominant ... “This can then link to fatigue and weight loss,” Liebling cautions.Hydrogen sulphide-dominant.
  • 1
×