![]() When exposed to air, it slowly oxidizes to form elemental sulfur, which is not soluble in water. Hydrogen sulfide and its solutions are colorless. Hydrogen sulfide is slightly soluble in water and acts as a weak acid ( p K a = 6.9 in 0.01–0.1 mol/litre solutions at 18 ☌), giving the hydrosulfide ion HS − (also written SH −). ![]() This reaction is exploited in the Claus process, an important industrial method to dispose of hydrogen sulfide. If an excess of oxygen is present, sulfur trioxide ( SO 3) is formed, which quickly hydrates to sulfuric acid:Īt high temperatures or in the presence of catalysts, sulfur dioxide reacts with hydrogen sulfide to form elemental sulfur and water. Hydrogen sulfide burns in oxygen with a blue flame to form sulfur dioxide ( SO 2) and water: In general, hydrogen sulfide acts as a reducing agent, although in the presence of a base, it can act as an acid by donating a proton and forming SH −. A mixture of H 2S and air can be explosive. Hydrogen sulfide is slightly denser than air. It also occurs in volcanic gases, natural gas deposits, and sometimes in well-drawn water. Hydrogen sulfide is often produced from the microbial breakdown of organic matter in the absence of oxygen, such as in swamps and sewers this process is commonly known as anaerobic digestion, which is done by sulfate-reducing microorganisms. Despite this, the human body produces small amounts of this sulfide and its mineral salts, and uses it as a signalling molecule. ![]() When it is inhaled or its salts are ingested in high amounts, damage to organs occurs rapidly with symptoms ranging from breathing difficulties to convulsions and death. Hydrogen sulfide is toxic to humans and most other animals by inhibiting cellular respiration in a manner similar to hydrogen cyanide. The British English spelling of this compound is hydrogen sulphide, a spelling no longer recommended by the Royal Society of Chemistry or the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry. Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele is credited with having discovered the chemical composition of purified hydrogen sulfide in 1777. The underground mine gas term for foul-smelling hydrogen sulfide-rich gas mixtures is stinkdamp. It is a colorless chalcogen-hydride gas, and is poisonous, corrosive, and flammable, with trace amounts in ambient atmosphere having a characteristic foul odor of rotten eggs. Hydrogen sulfide is a chemical compound with the formula H 2S.
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