Diving in Sulfur....ok?

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

Hydrogen sulfide is poisonous - but usually harmless in the quantities we experience smelling marsh gas. I believe we go "nose blind" to it at higher concentrations, making it dangerous.

I was taught that you go "nose blind" pretty much just before it kills you.

I've experienced the same thing diving in (parts of) quarries too. I thought it was interesting how you can smell under water. I guess it's not really a big deal but who wants to dive in swamp water.
 
I was taught that you go "nose blind" pretty much just before it kills you.

I've experienced the same thing diving in (parts of) quarries too. I thought it was interesting how you can smell under water. I guess it's not really a big deal but who wants to dive in swamp water.

Well I definitely didn't experience death or the "nose blind" lol.

It's not that I want to dive in smelly swamp water, it's just that's what the lower 1/2 of the quarry has to offer. Earlier this year it was "smokey" but now it's more just "black"ish water, but still kind of clear.

Here's a very crappy video of the other night;
Dropbox - P9300015.MOV - Simplify your life
 
Sorry, didn't mean to imply you WANTED to dive in smelly swamp water :)

No worries:):wink:, I mean,,,if it means I can get under and hang out for a bit I'll take what I can get, lol. I'm just grateful to have a place to dive.
 
1) it will ruin the chrome on your regs and other bits over time
2) it can make you nauseous, dizzy and to the point of vomiting - from the water which gets into your 2nd stage through the exhaust diaphragm and into your nose from little mask leaks
 
As long as you can smell it its ok, not ideal, if it gets strong enough you start to not smell it, it can knock you out or give you a heart attack. Its also corrosive as hell.
 
Just out of curiosity, what damage (if any) could it do to gear...do you know, or is the rinse just to get the smell out?
Well, a weak acid, and sulfur.
H2S is soluble in water and acts as a weak acid. it is dissociates initially into the hydrosulfide ion and then the sulfide ion. The presence of the hydronium ion, H3O+ is also present. The presence of all these intermediary ions is sufficient to conduct the flow of electrical current through the solution.

The formulas would be as follows:

H2S + H2O ---> HS- + H3O+

HS- + H2O ---> S-- + H3O+

The solution is initially clear, but clouds up over time due to the slow reaction of hydrogen sulfide with the oxygen in the water. Over time, elemental sulfur is precipitated out of the solution.

Hydrogen sulfide is a gas at room temperature and has a very disagreeable odor, similar to that of sewer gas or rotten eggs. When combined with elemental oxygen at high temperatures, it can produce elemental sulfur and water, known as the Clauss reaction.
What is produced when H2S reacts with water? - Quora
Ask yourself what happens to your gear if it is subjected to dilute acid; also the sulfur will adhere to the gear if not washed off. 'Same for your nose. :wink:

SeaRat
 
As long as you can smell it its ok, not ideal, if it gets strong enough you start to not smell it, it can knock you out or give you a heart attack. Its also corrosive as hell.
Do not rely upon smell with H2S. If it's in an industrial situation, we always recommend using an instrument to quantify the amount in the air; in an outdoor diving situation, that is not possible, but if you start smelling it, it's best to simply get out and not stay around.

The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists has a threshold limit value for H2S of 1 ppm, with a short term exposure limit (15 minutes) of only 5 ppm.* The TLV basis is for eye irritation and central nervous system impairment.

USA Federal OSHA has an interesting article on H2S:
Safety and Health Topics | Hydrogen Sulfide - Hazards | Occupational Safety and Health Administration

SeaRat

*2014 TLV Booklet.
 

Back
Top Bottom