Children die playing with scuba gear left in pool - Jensen Beach, Florida

[Wookie]

This is really surprising and chilling. I remember kids breathing off party balloons to make their voices squeaky. (Do those maybe not contain pure helium?) I was always too scared to do it.

One reason we don't use Balloon Grade helium in diving (well, responsible gas blenders don't) is that some gas manufacturers add a percentage of Oxygen to the Balloon Grade because they KNOW that kids are going to breath it.

 

[tridacna]

One reason we don't use Balloon Grade helium in diving (well, responsible gas blenders don't) is that some gas manufacturers add a percentage of Oxygen to the Balloon Grade because they KNOW that kids are going to breath it.

Not quite. BG is usually around 95% (minimum quality is 92% in order to float). The rest are "other gases" - N2, O2 and anything else that gets dragged in from the surrounding air. Balloon gas is usually made out of waste product that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere.

 

[Wookie]

Not quite. BG is usually around 95% (minimum quality is 92% in order to float). The rest are "other gases" - N2, O2 and anything else that gets dragged in from the surrounding air. Balloon gas is usually made out of waste product that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere.

legit

 

[kelemvor]

According to the MSDS, "balloon time" helium (the ones sold at walmart and party city and target) have "up to" 15% air. Seems odd that it's so imprecise.

https://worthingtonindustries.com/g...4903-8ae7-3181c426be32/WC042-Helium-Blend.pdf

 

[rjack321]

This is really surprising and chilling. I remember kids breathing off party balloons to make their voices squeaky. (Do those maybe not contain pure helium?) I was always too scared to do it.

If the balloon is more than 2 breaths, and you don't take a room air breath in-between, you absolutely start to feel the affects of hypoxia from huffing off a balloon even once or twice. The reason its rarely fatal is because balloons are small enough and kids (and adults) show off their squeaky voices and then proceed to laugh about it breathing room air. But with a larger balloon and not talking about your squeaky voices in room air, you'll easily pass out within 20-40 seconds in 100% helium asphyxiant.

 

[nadwidny]

Not quite. BG is usually around 95% (minimum quality is 92% in order to float). The rest are "other gases" - N2, O2 and anything else that gets dragged in from the surrounding air. Balloon gas is usually made out of waste product that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere.

Well my analysis of balloon grade in a lab says that is wrong but your supplier may be different.

 

[DandyDon]

Excerpting from one site: Grades of helium: the differences and uses

Grade 4 (4.0 helium and lower = 99.99% purity)
Any helium that is 99.99% and down into the high 80 percents is within the range of purities referred to collectively as “balloon grade helium.” While Grade 4 helium is used mostly for balloons (although the mid-high 90 percent heliums could be used in leak detection, air bags, and heat transfer applications as well), that doesn’t necessarily mean that higher grades of helium aren’t used in balloons. In fact, in many cases, it may be Grade 5 helium.

 

[nadwidny]

If the balloon is more than 2 breaths, and you don't take a room air breath in-between, you absolutely start to feel the affects of hypoxia from huffing off a balloon even once or twice. The reason its rarely fatal is because balloons are small enough and kids (and adults) show off their squeaky voices and then proceed to laugh about it breathing room air. But with a larger balloon and not talking about your squeaky voices in room air, you'll easily pass out within 20-40 seconds in 100% helium asphyxiant.

For me, my Shearwater shows under 50 seconds between normoxic (.17) to hypoxic (<.05) and sinking to the seabed. So ,yeah, 20-40 seconds in a pure He environment sounds reasonable.
Could be less. I don't know. I wasn't there for 90% of it. I can tell you it was peaceful and if someone wanted to go, it is a great way to go.

 

[KDAD]

I have breathed pure helium with the squeaky voice in between and maybe a breath or two of air followed by another two or three rounds of it. Maybe felt lightheaded, if that, but certainly breathing pure He off of a reg in a pool is a different story. One breath didn't do it to me but a few without an air break could certainly do it.

 

[mderrick]

Excerpting from one site: Grades of helium: the differences and uses

Here is a link more about Helium grades used in diving... www.divegearexpress.com/library/tek-tips/helium-grade-differences