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Oct 7, 2024 · The inhalation of natural gas, particularly when it contains additives like mercaptan for leak detection, can lead to a range of health issues. Short-term exposure often results in symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, and nausea. These symptoms arise because natural gas can displace oxygen in the air, leading to reduced oxygen availability ...
- Overview
- How to tell if your symptoms are due to a gas leak
- Another cause for similar symptoms
- What to do if you suspect a gas leak
- Life after a gas leak
- How to prevent gas leaks
- Bottom line
Gas leaks can cause headaches, nausea, dizziness, fatigue, eye irritation, and skin blisters. It can also become difficult to breathe. Open your windows and call for help immediately.
Many homes use natural gas for heat, hot water, and appliances. Natural gas has no smell, which means a small leak would be impossible to detect.
A hissing sound is not always present, either. That’s why your utility company adds mercaptan, a harmless chemical, to the gas. Mercaptan smells like sulfur, or rotten eggs, to help you identify gas leaks. But you may not smell anything if the leak is very small.
Evacuate the area immediately if you experience the following:
•smell sulphur or something like rotten eggs
•hear a hissing or whistling sound near a gas line
Gas leaks change the amount of oxygen available. As you breathe in less oxygen, you may start to develop symptoms. If you or others in your family experience sudden and unexplained symptoms, there could be a gas leak in your home.
Here are the symptoms you should look for:
•headache
•dizziness
•nausea
•eye and throat irritation
Other air contaminants can cause symptoms similar to those of gas leak poisoning. If there are no gas leaks, check for other indoor air contaminants such as carbon monoxide or mold.
Incompletely burnt gas can release carbon monoxide, another dangerous gas that can affect your health. If you use natural gas for heating or hot water, make sure to install a carbon monoxide detector in the home.
The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include:
•tiredness
•nausea and dizziness
•headache
Observe your symptoms as you leave the house or move between rooms. If you notice that headaches reappear after you return home, you are likely dealing with a gas leak or another type of air contaminant.
For mild gas odor, you should open up the windows, make sure pilot lights are off, and call your gas company. They’ll advise you on the next steps. You can also turn the gas meter off if you know how.
For strong gas odor or situations that cause symptoms, exit your home or leave the area immediately. Gas is extremely volatile. If you have had a leak in your home for a while, there is an increased risk of explosion.
Call the emergency number for your utility company. But make the call away from the area of the suspected gas leak. Phones can create sparks, which may ignite the gas. Also, head to the emergency room, or call an ambulance if your symptoms are severe.
What to do
•let an inspector locate and fix your leak •air out your house before returning •have outside pipelines inspected Was this helpful? Ideally, a house inspector will let you know when it’s safe to return. Even if the leak was only on the inside, you should also have someone inspect outside pipelines. Leaks that occur outside your home are equally dangerous.
Health effects
While exposure to low levels of natural gas is not harmful, long-term exposure can affect your health. Burning natural gas produces nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, and methane. These chemicals can trigger respiratory problems, depression, and decrease the quality of your health. Talk to your doctor if you believe the gas leak is affecting your health.
Leaks can occur from oversights during gas line installation, or they can be a consequence of old pipelines and appliances. Have your appliances and pipelines inspected yearly.
The service is usually free of charge. One thing that you need to do if using gas is to educate yourself and your family about natural gas safety. Remember what to look for in case of a leak or if someone experiences gas poisoning symptoms.
While natural gas leaks are rare, they can happen both inside and outside of your home.
If you use gas burning appliances or use natural gas for heating, make sure to have yearly inspections. Gas leaks, while dangerous, are preventable.
- Daniela Ginta
Dec 27, 2023 · Natural gas poisoning occurs when individuals are exposed to high levels of natural gas in an enclosed space. Natural gas is odorless and colorless, which makes it difficult to detect without the addition of an odorant called mercaptan. When inhaled, natural gas displaces oxygen in the air, leading to a lack of oxygen supply to the body's vital ...
- Decreased level of oxygen. Leaking natural gas can replace oxygen in ambient air. Without oxygen, you will be unable to breathe, resulting in a range of symptoms including
- Release of carbon monoxide. One of the primary uses of natural gas in industrial applications is to provide heat. This requires that the gas be burned in the presence of air.
- Risk of a flash fire or major explosion. Finally and most importantly, leaking natural gas can quickly become an explosive hazard. It only takes a concentration of five percent (5%) by volume to create an explosive atmosphere.
Jul 27, 2017 · Asphyxiation. One of the major health effects of natural gas leakage (or exposure to methane) is asphyxiation. It is a serious health condition where the body is not able to get sufficient oxygen supply, which may lead to loss of consciousness, brain damage and death. People with high chemical sensitivity are more susceptible to this disease.
Dec 2, 2021 · Natural gas leaks can kill vegetation and trees, cause explosions and fires, and potentially release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. As it applies to those exposed, a natural gas leak could result in natural gas poisoning. Leaking gas is not always easy to detect, but natural gas does have several warning signs.
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Dec 2, 2022 · Now, a 2022 study published in Environmental Science and Technology finds that in 95 percent of homes tested, natural-gas lines and appliances also release low but potentially harmful levels of chemicals, such as benzene, that are linked to cancer and other illnesses. Many people are aware of the “air toxics” (as the Environmental ...
