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The recent news about the gas leak in Bombay High has sent The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) into a tizzy. With the Coast Guard and Indian Navy deploying ships to help in evacuation and to control the situation, the risk to life and limb is fairly evident. But if you have been wondering how natural gas could be damaging to your health, here is a brief explanation about each component:
Methane: The most common component of natural gas, methane can have an adverse effect on the human body, depending on how a person is exposed to the gas. In general, the gas is toxic to humans if inhaled and/or if it's absorbed through one's skin. Known to be extremely flammable, if inhaled, methane can cause symptoms like nausea, slurred speech, agitation, vomiting, facial flushing and headaches. In severe cases, a person may also suffer from difficulty in breathing, heart complications, coma and even death.
How much is too much?
There is no consensus on the amount of methane gas that can cause ill-health; it really depends on the amount of oxygen present in the air. The stipulated amount is 18% of of oxygen when there is a release of methane gas. That being said, this figure is for the gas when it is released in a closed space.
Propane: According to experts, the inhalation of this gas in small amounts is not usually dangerous. But this gas is known to be extremely flammable and displaces oxygen. Due to this property, the gas leaves less oxygen in the air for a person to breathe making a person eventually suffocate.
Arsine: Being water-soluble gases, arsine when combined with water turns into a very potent chemical that can cause irritation in the lungs (due to combining with the water in the mucus layer of the lungs) and hemolysis (the breakdown of blood cells within the body).
How much is too much?
Experts say that these complications can be avoided by limiting one's eight-hour-exposure levels below 200 ug/cu. m or 0.05 ppm.
Ammonia: Another water soluble gas, this gas is known to cause severe irritation in the upper respiratory tract when it mixes with the fluid of the eyes, nose, throat or lungs. This causes difficulty in breathing and suffocation.
How much is too much?
An exposure to 300 to 500 parts per million for 30 to 60 minutes would cause such effects and can be hazardous to health.
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Bombay High Oil Rig Gas Leak why natural gas is dangerous for your health