![eggy smell in house eggy smell in house](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/06/12/68/061268f1122b2b1a414f7fade2f8acc4.jpg)
Seismic fault, that is, as ABC7 speculates that earthquakes in Nevada may have unleashed the smell. In short, if you live anywhere near a significant body of water, sooner or later this distinctive but strategically general smell will probably strike.Īlthough, at least one running theory about San Francisco’s latest odor episode finds not the ocean but the desert at fault.
![eggy smell in house eggy smell in house](https://usercontent2.hubstatic.com/34849_f248.jpg)
On the other hand, sometimes the mystery endures longer than the smell: It’s still not clear what’s blighting the suburbs of Melbourne, Australia. (Again, Chevron says they’re clear in Richmond.) That same year, Moscow officials blamed a leak at an oil refinery for similar phenomena. In 2014, Icelandic volcanoes vented egg stink across the whole of Scandinavia. Long-term, low level exposure to hydrogen sulfide may result in fatigue, loss of appetite, headaches, irritability, poor memory, and dizziness.(Meanwhile, the nearby city of Tacoma, Washington is so often afflicted that the odor qualifies as a kind of local landmark. In some individuals, there have been permanent or long-term effects such as headaches, poor attention span, poor memory, and poor coordination.
#Eggy smell in house full
In most cases, a person who is exposed to hydrogen sulfide will make a full recovery within hours to a few weeks - it depends upon the individual and the level of exposure. Brief exposures to high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide can cause loss of consciousness, coma, and possible death. Moderate concentrations can cause more severe eye and respiratory irritation, headache, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting. Asthmatics may experience difficulty in breathing. Low concentrations may irritate the eyes, nose, throat, and respiratory system. Some people have greater sensitivities than others to the potential effects. Some people are able to detect it at very low concentrations while others may not smell it. Hydrogen sulfide is both an irritant and a chemical asphyxiant (it will take the place of oxygen so there is not enough for someone to breathe). How can hydrogen sulfide affect my health? Propane companies add a harmless chemical called mercaptan to give it its distinctive rotten egg smell. Some foods contain high sulfur levels, particularly plants in the onion family, especially garlic. A small amount of hydrogen sulfide is produced by bacteria in your mouth and gastrointestinal tract.Although rare in Washington, municipal drinking water or well water can contain hydrogen sulfide. Hydrogen sulfide is slightly soluble (it can dissolve) in water and can be found in geothermal springs and some swamps.Shorelines with significant amounts of decaying organic material, such as seaweed, have caused hydrogen sulfide problems on beaches.
![eggy smell in house eggy smell in house](http://img-aws.ehowcdn.com/640/cme/photography.prod.demandstudios.com/1f7e64dd-c41b-47e2-af53-3e30eb8dfd2e.jpg)
Mudflats, with oxygen-starved organic material in the sediment, can produce generally low levels of hydrogen sulfide.Workers involved in petroleum and natural gas drilling and refining, wastewater treatment, rayon textiles, tanneries, landfills, and farms with manure storage pits my be exposed to higher levels of hydrogen sulfide.People living near a wastewater treatment plant, gas and oil drilling operation, farm with manure storage or livestock confinement facilities, or a landfill may be exposed to higher levels of hydrogen sulfide.Breathing contaminated air that contains hydrogen sulfide.How can I be exposed to hydrogen sulfide? Hydrogen sulfide's chemical formula is H 2S. Hydrogen sulfide is used in preparation of other sulfur chemical compounds and can be a byproduct of industrial activities such as pulp and paper mills, manufacturing rayon, food processing, tanneries and fur processing, and oil and natural gas refineries. Hydrogen sulfide also occurs naturally in the human body and is produced by human and animal wastes. Beaches with large amounts of decaying seaweed and mudflats with trapped organic material below the sediment can produce hydrogen sulfide. It occurs in unrefined natural gas and petroleum, volcanic gases, sulfur deposits, hot springs, and swamps. In the environment, hydrogen sulfide is produced from the bacterial breakdown or decomposition of dead plant and animal matter, especially when there is a lack of oxygen. Hydrogen sulfide is heavier than air, so it can build up in low-lying areas and enclosed spaces. This condition, known as olfactory fatigue, can also occur when people have been exposed to hydrogen sulfide for a longer period of time. At extremely high levels, a person can lose their ability to smell the gas and become unaware of its presence. At high concentration levels, it has a sickening sweet odor. It is commonly known as sewer gas, stink damp, and manure gas. Hydrogen sulfide is a colorless, flammable gas that smells like rotten eggs at low concentration levels in the air.