hydrogen sulfide
4
5.1
- noun
- /ˈhaɪdrədʒən ˈsʌlfaɪd/
- Specialized
:
sulfuro de hidrógeno
- Few gases are as potent as hydrogen sulfide (H2S) at assaulting the human olfactory senses.
- produce hydrogen sulfide
- remove hydrogen sulfide
- hydrogen sulfide gas
Examples
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If inhaled in large quantities, hydrogen sulfide can be lethal, so proper safety measures are crucial.
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The strong odor of hydrogen sulfide made everyone in the area feel nauseous and dizzy.
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Hydrogen sulfide is also quite toxic and can cause permanent physical harm and even death.
Academic text (1996) -
Under normal conditions, hydrogen sulfide is a colorless, flammable gas.
Academic text (2008) -
Sulfur-reducing bacteria are often responsible for the hydrogen sulfide smell released when raw water is aerated.
Academic text (2001) -
Hydrogen sulfide is produced naturally by the anaerobic decomposition of any type of organic or inorganic matter.
Academic text (1996) -
The water spewing from the vent below was rich in heated hydrogen sulfide, a chemical that was toxic and incompatible with life.
Fiction book (2000) -
When inhaled, hydrogen sulfide readily enters the bloodstream via diffusion through pulmonary alveoli.
Academic text (2008) -
The workers were trained to recognize the warning signs of hydrogen sulfide exposure while on the job.
Synonyms
A dangerous gas that smells like rotten eggs
Surface Forms
Morphology
The term is compositionally transparent: a learner who knows 'hydrogen' and 'sulfide' can infer it is a chemical compound containing hydrogen and sulfur (and many will expect a gas), so the basic referent is predictable. However, the specific biomedical sense — that it is an endogenously produced signalling gas involved in physiological regulation — is technical and not deducible from the parts alone, so the overall transparency is partial.
Etymology
The compound hydrogen sulfide is named for what it is: a gas made of hydrogen plus sulfur, and the word sulfide shows the sulfur part. It has a strong rotten-egg smell and can be poisonous, so the name helps you remember it means 'a smelly, dangerous gas'.