Important Update to Hydrogen Sulfide Toxicity

A recent study conducted by the University of California at Berkley found that very low exposure to ambient hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) has rather deleterious effects on human health.

"The interviews show that chronic exposure to relatively low levels of hydrogen sulfide can nevertheless take a considerable toll on people’s health."

The study also looked at State Ambient H₂S Regulations and the results are more serious than previously posited by this author. Consider the following graph found in the above noted study:

(click to enlarge image)

As an example of how to read this chart, the state of Montana considers exposure of .05ppm (five hundredths of one part per million, or 5 parts per 100,000,000) of ambient hydrogen sulfide for one hour the most a person can tolerate before their health is appreciably affected.

This study as evidenced in the above noted graph evidences a very serious problem for Marco Islanders. Simply look at the 24 hour mark. There are two states (Massachusetts and Pennsylvania) that for all practical purposes do not allow ANY ambient H₂S for periods of exposure greater than 24 hours.

There are two consequential inferences we make from casually analyzing this chart (and the overall study) as related to us on Marco Island.

First, notice that Florida is missing. Unfortunately without a regulation, it is easy – as we have seen – for city and state governmental operatives to claim that the contamination is within regulations. When there aren’t any regulations, then any level of pollution is acceptable.

But environmental and state authorities need to come out from behind their outdated pretexts to consider recent studies and the regulations in place in other states with regard to this highly dangerous poison.

The second and more pressing observation is that even at exceedingly low levels of H₂S – at levels that are not even barely perceptible by the average human nose – exposure for as little as 3 minutes has been deemed harmful. And yet, here on Marco Island, we have been exposed for many months, 24 hours a day, to higher levels.