MINE GASES

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

MG Q-1 Where is Methane most likely to be found in a mine?

MG A-1 Near the roof, as it is lighter than air.

MG Q-2 What percent of carbon monoxide can cause death in less than one hour?
MG A-2 0.4 percent or more.

MG Q-3 How do oxides of nitrogen cause death?

MG A-3 Causes fluid to accumulate in lungs resulting in asphyxia.

MG Q-4 What are the sources of Hydrogen in a mine?

MG A-4 Charging batteries, mine fires, and explosions.

MG Q-5 Hydrogen is always present after what type of explosion?

MG A-5 Coal dust explosions.

MG Q-6 Write down the chemical symbols of methane and hydrogen sulfide.
MG A-6 CH4 and H2S.

MG Q-7 What percentage of the earth's atmosphere is oxygen?

MG A-7 20.94 percent oxygen.

MG Q-8 What percent of the earth's atmosphere is nitrogen?

MG A-8 78.09 percent nitrogen.

MG Q-9 Once two or more gases mix uniformly will they separate or come apart?
MG A-9 No.

MG Q-10 When is the oxygen (O2) level in air considered to be dangerous?

MG A-10 When oxygen (O2) level falls below 16%.

MG Q-11 What is the chemical symbol of carbon dioxide?

MG A-11 CO2

MG Q-12 What element in the air is essential for life?

MG A-12 Oxygen.

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MG Q-13 How does the body receive oxygen?
MG A-13 By breathing, oxygen is absorbed by the blood and carried to the cells of
the body.

MG Q-14 What is meant by the term "black damp"?

MG A-14 An atmosphere deficient in oxygen.

MG Q-15 How can methane gas be detected in a coal mine?

MG A-15 Chemical analysis, flame safety lamp and methane detectors.

MG Q-16 What is the explosive range of methane?

MG A-16 Five to fifteen percent.

MG Q-17 A flame safety lamp will go out when the oxygen percentage
is below what?
MG A-17 16 percent.

MG Q-18 The explosive range of carbon monoxide is what?

MG A-18 12.5-74 percent.

MG Q-19 What distinctive odor does hydrogen sulfide gas smell like?
MG A-19 Smells like rotten eggs.

MG Q-20 What are the properties of hydrogen sulfide?

MG A-20 Poisonous and colorless with an odor like rotten eggs.

MG Q-21 What is a flammable mixture of methane and air which can either burn or
explode when ignited called?
MG A-21 Firedamp.

MG Q-22 A sealed area of a coal mine after a period of time will be found to have
the absence of what?
MG A-22 Oxygen.

MG Q-23 What is the specific gravity of carbon dioxide?

MG A-23 1.529

MG Q-24 How are oxides of Nitrogen formed?

MG A-24 From the use of explosives in mines

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MG Q-25 How are results from analysis of oxides of Nitrogen reported?
MG A-25 In terms of nitrogen dioxide.

MG Q-26 What is the ignition temperature of methane?

MG A-26 1100-1380° F

MG Q-27 What is the ignition temperature of Carbon monoxide?

MG A-27 1100° F.

MG Q-28 Is hydrogen explosive?

MG A-28 Yes.

MG Q-29 What is the specific gravity of hydrogen?

MG A-29 It is the lightest of all gases with a specific gravity of 0.0695.

MG Q-30 What is the explosive range of hydrogen?

MG A-30 4.1 to 74 percent.

MGQ-31 How is hydrogen detected?

MG A-31 By chemical analysis.

MG Q-32 What is the principal poisonous gas produced by explosions?

MG A-32 Carbon monoxide.

MG Q-33 What effect does carbon monoxide have on life?

MG A-33 It is extremely poisonous.

MG Q-34 How does carbon monoxide cause injury to life?

MG A-34 By combining with the hemoglobin of the blood and excluding oxygen.

MG Q-35 What percentage of carbon monoxide will produce slight symptoms in

several hours?
MG A-35 200 PPM (.02%).

MG Q-36 What percentage of carbon monoxide will produce discomfort in two or

three hours?
MG A-36 400 PPM (.04%).

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MG Q-37 What percentage of carbon monoxide will produce a tendency to stagger
in one and one-half (l.5) hours?
MG A-37 1200 PPM (0.12%).

MG Q-38 What percentage of carbon monoxide will produce symptoms of

unconsciousness in thirty (30) minutes?
MG A-38 2000-2500 PPM (.20%-.25%).

MG Q-39 How much greater affinity does hemoglobin have for carbon monoxide
than for oxygen?
MG A-39 About three hundred (300) times.

MG Q-40 Why are small quantities of carbon monoxide injurious?

MG A-40 Because it is not easily eliminated and it accumulates in the blood.

MG Q-41 What is the specific gravity of carbon monoxide?

MG A-41 0.967.

MG Q-42 What is carbon monoxide (CO)?

MGA-42 It is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, combustible, and poisonous gas.

MG Q-43 How can carbon monoxide be detected?

MG A-43 By carbon monoxide detectors, and by analysis.

MG Q-44 Workers should not be employed for a period of 8 hours where the carbon
monoxide content exceeds what?
MG A-44 50 PPM (0.005%)

MG Q-45 What percentage of carbon monoxide might produce symptoms of

poisoning if breathed indefinitely?
MG A-45 0.01%.

MG Q-46 What is the source of carbon monoxide?

MG A-46 It is the product of incomplete combustion (combustion with an
insufficiency of oxygen).

MG Q-47 When is carbon monoxide most likely to be found in mines?

MG A-47 When there is a mine fire or after an explosion.

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MG Q-48 What instruments are most often used in detecting methane?
MG A-48 The flame safety lamp and methane detectors.

MG Q-49 What is the least percentage of methane that can be detected with a flame
safety lamp?
MG A-49 About one percent (1%).

MG Q-50 What gas is odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, colorless and explosive in the
concentration of 5%-15%?
MG A-50 Methane.

MG Q-51 What is the source of methane in coal mines?

MG A-51 It is liberated from coal and adjoining strata.

MG Q-52 What is the specific gravity of methane?

MG A-52 0.555.

MG Q-53 Where is methane usually found in mines?

MG A-53 Along the roof, to the rises, in the vicinity of working faces, in dead ends
and above falls.

MG Q-54 Is methane an explosive by itself?

MG A-54 No. Oxygen is required to support combustion.

MG Q-55 Why can there be no explosion when the percentage of methane is greater
than fifteen percent (15%)?
MG A-55 Because the amount of oxygen present is insufficient for rapid combustion
to occur.

MG Q-56 What is the percentage of methane required for maximum explosive

violence?
MG A-56 Ten percent (10%).

MG Q-57 What is the percentage of oxygen below which no explosion of a methane

air-mixture can occur?
MG A-57 Twelve percent (12%).

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MG Q-58 What effect does an atmosphere with a reduced oxygen content have upon
the explosibility of methane?
MG A-58 A greater percentage of methane is necessary to start an explosion in an
atmosphere which contains less than the normal percentage of oxygen.

MG Q-59 What effect does the presence of methane have upon the explosibility of
coal dust?
MG A-59 The coal dust is more easily ignited and the force of the explosion is
greater.

MG Q-60 What effect does coal dust in the air have upon the explosibility of
methane?
MG A-60 The lower explosive limit is decreased.

MG Q-61 What dangerous gas is most likely to be encountered above a pillar fall?
MG A-61 Methane.

MG Q-62 Where might concentrated accumulations of carbon dioxide ordinarily be

found?
MG A-62 Near the floor, in inadequately ventilated places.

MG Q-63 What effect does carbon dioxide have upon life?

MG A-63 Respiration is increased as concentration of carbon dioxide increases.

MG Q-64 How is carbon dioxide detected?

MG A-64 Usually by chemical analysis.

MG Q-65 What is carbon dioxide (C02)?

MG A-65 Carbon dioxide is a colorless and odorless gas formed by the chemical
combination of carbon and oxygen.

MG Q-66 How is carbon dioxide formed in a mine?

MG A-66 By combustion, by breathing of miners and animals, by decay of vegetable
and animal matter, by the oxidation of coal and by chemical action of acid
water on carbonates.

MG Q-67 What is a product of complete combustion?

MG A-67 Carbon dioxide.

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MG Q-68 Is carbon dioxide combustible?
MG A-68 No.

MG Q-69 How does the body receive oxygen?

MG A-69 Through breathing, the oxygen is taken up by the hemoglobin of the blood
and carried to all parts of the body.

MG Q-70 What supports the chemical reaction that produces fires and explosions?
MG A-70 Oxygen.

MG Q-71 What percent oxygen can a person most easily work in?
MG A-71 20.9%

MG Q-72 What percent oxygen will a person breathe faster and deeper while at
work?
MG A-72 17 percent.

MG Q-73 What is nitrogen?

MG A-73 It is a tasteless, odorless and colorless gas which will neither support life
nor combustion.

MG Q-74 Is nitrogen combustible?

MG A-74 No.

MG Q-75 What effect does nitrogen have towards propagating an explosion?

MG A-75 None.

MG Q-76 What effect does nitrogen have upon life?

MG A-76 It has no effect, except when it depletes oxygen to the extent that there is a
deficiency of oxygen.

MG Q-77 Does nitrogen have an ignition temperature?

MG A-77 No, nitrogen will not explode.

MG Q-78 How is sulfur dioxide formed in a mine?

MG A-78 By burning coal containing pyrites.

MG Q-79 What is the specific gravity of sulfur dioxide?

MG A-79 2.263.

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MG Q-80 What is the particular danger of sulfur dioxide?
MG A-80 It is extremely poisonous even in small amounts.

MG Q-81 How is sulfur dioxide detected?

MG A-81 By the sense of smell and its effect on the air passages.

MG Q-82 What is the first effect on a person exposed to sulfur dioxide?

MG A-82 It is extremely irritating and suffocating and is intolerable to breathe.

MG Q-83 Is sulfur dioxide combustible?

MG A-83 No, it is incombustible.

MG Q-84 What mine gas can be detected by its odor?

MG A-84 Hydrogen sulfide.

MG Q-85 What is the origin of hydrogen sulfide?

MG A-85 It is liberated by burning explosives containing sulfur such as black
powder or dynamite.

MG Q-86 How can hydrogen sulfide be detected other than by sense of smell?
MG A-86 By the hydrogen sulfide detector or by paper dipped in acetate of lead,
which will turn black immediately on exposure to hydrogen sulfide.

MG Q-87 What is the specific gravity of hydrogen sulfide?

MG A-87 1.191.

MG Q-88 What is the explosive range of hydrogen sulfide?

MG A-88 4.3% to 45%.

MG Q-89 Is hydrogen sulfide poisonous?

MG A-89 Yes, it is extremely poisonous even in small amounts.

MG Q-90 What is the immediate effect of hydrogen sulfide on a person?

MG A-90 It is extremely irritating to the eyes.

MG Q-91 Is sulfur dioxide soluble in water?

MG A-91 Yes.

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MG Q-92 What is noxious gas?
MG A-92 Any gas in the air which is harmful to life when inhaled.

MG Q-93 Which is the heaviest, one cubic foot of methane or one cubic foot of air?
MG A-93 One cubic foot of air.

MG Q-94 What gas is found near the roof and cavities on falls?
MG A-94 Methane (CH4).

MG Q-95 What does the presence of CO in a sealed mine area indicate?

MG A-95 A fire.

MG Q-96 What percentage of blood saturation by Carbon monoxide (CO) will cause
death?
MG A-96 70% - 80%.

MG Q-97 Why will methane accumulate in an inadequately ventilated place?

MG A-97 It is lighter than air and will rise and stratify if not properly diffused.

MG Q-98 Can there be a mine fire or an explosion without the presence of oxygen?
MG A-98 No.

MG Q-99 What is the principle combustible gas usually found in coal mines?
MG A-99 Methane.

MG Q-100 Define the term diffusion of gases.

MG A-100 Diffusion is a phenomenon by which gases mix by natural forces.

MG Q-101 What is the law of diffusion?

MG A-101 The rate of diffusion varies inversely as the square root of specific gravity.

MG Q-102 What is stratification?

MG A-102 When gases do not diffuse completely, layers of gas stratify horizontally.

MG Q-103 Name the gas which is generated from a storage battery.

MG A-103 Hydrogen (H2).

MG Q-104 Name the non-explosive gases found in coal mines.

MG A-104 Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and Nitrogen (N2).

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MG Q-105 Name the explosive gases found in bituminous coal mines in
Pennsylvania.
MG A-105 Methane (CH4), Carbon monoxide (CO), and Hydrogen Sulfide

MG Q-106 Is methane (CH4) poisonous?

MG A-106 No.

MG Q-107 Among methane, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen sulfide, which one has
the lowest ignition temperature?
MG A-107 Hydrogen sulfide (700°F).

MG Q-108 What type of atmosphere is easy for the detection of a gas - a diffused one
or a stratified one?
MG A-108 A stratified one.

MG Q-109 What is the effect of black damp on flame safety lamp?

MG A-109 The flame of a safety lamp is dimmed or extinguished depending on
concentration of gases present.

MG Q-110 What is the color of methane?

MG A-110 Methane is colorless.

MG Q-111 What is the most simple and safe test for the presence of black damp?
MG A-111 A flame safety lamp.

MG Q-112 Stink damp refers to which gas?

MG A-112 Hydrogen sulfide.

MG Q-113 White damp refers to which gas?

MG A-113 Carbon monoxide.

MG Q-114 Convert 0.01 percent of carbon monoxide to ppm.

MG A-114 100 ppm.

MG Q-115 List the threshold limit value for oxides of nitrogen.

MG A-115 5 ppm.

MG Q-116 What is the threshold limit value of nitrogen?

MG A-116 81%.

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MG Q-117 What is TLV?
MG A-117 Threshold Limit Value.

MG Q-118 What is the threshold limit value of hydrogen sulfide?

MG A-118 10 PPM.

MG Q-119 Is hydrogen flammable?

MG A-119 Yes.

MG Q-120 Mine air should not contain less than what percentage of oxygen?
MG A-120 19.5%.

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