A Rouen resident told Reuters news agency the stench pervaded his home; "You can't ventilate. There is nothing to do, it's constantly in the room and it's unbearable."
Another resident told AFP news agency: "This is horrible. I thought I was in a gas cylinder."
Another said the air smelled of "rotten eggs".
There is no word on the cause of the leak. The factory has been closed.
In Britain, the Health Protection Agency said: "The smell drifting over Southern England today poses no risk to public health. "The odour, which is similar to rotten eggs, has been noticed by people mainly in Kent, East and West Sussex and some parts of Surrey."
Emergency officials in southern Kent advised residents "to keep doors and windows closed due to a gas cloud".
Thousands of people, from as far away as Paris and London, have complained of nausea and headaches.
The gas is mercaptan, an additive to natural gas said to be harmless. It leaked on Monday from a plant run by a French subsidiary of the US chemicals manufacturer Lubrizol near Rouen, 75 miles (120km) north-west of Paris. Winds blew the cloud over northern France on Monday night and then into England on Tuesday. Tuesday evening's French Cup football match between Rouen and Marseille has been postponed because of the stink.
In smaller concentrations over a longer period of time it may also be fatal. H2S smells like rotten eggs, you will lose all sense of smell very quickly therefore it is important to get to a clean air area immediately after smelling rotten eggs. If any members of the crew have come in contact with H2S then they need to decontaminate if exposed to 50 PPM or more by removing contaminated clothing and wash any concentrations off their skin. H2S casualty or patient must be on oxygen as soon as they are in a clean air area then seek medical care.
Health effects of H2S exposure
Hydrogen sulfide is both an irritant and a
chemical asphyxiant with effects on both
oxygen utilization and the central nervous
system. Its health effects can vary depending
on the level and duration of exposure.
Repeated exposure can result in health effects
occurring at levels that were previously tolerated
without any effect.
Low concentrations irritate the eyes, nose,
throat and respiratory system (e.g., burning/
tearing of eyes, cough, shortness of breath).
Asthmatics may experience breathing difficulties.
The effects can be delayed for several
hours, or sometimes several days, when
working in low-level concentrations. Repeated
or prolonged exposures may cause eye
inflammation, headache, fatigue, irritability,
insomnia, digestive disturbances and weight
loss.
Moderate concentrations can cause more
severe eye and respiratory irritation (including
coughing, difficulty breathing, accumulation
of fluid in the lungs), headache, dizziness,
nausea, vomiting, staggering and excitability.
PARIS — The stench of rotten eggs wafted across Paris and northern France on Tuesday, even reaching across the sea to England, after a gas leak that authorities said was very smelly but entirely harmless. Headaches, sore throats and nausea were nevertheless among the complaints listed in calls made overnight to emergency lines in Paris by more than 10,000 people worried by the stink that had invaded their streets and homes.
The leak began early Monday at a plant run by Lubrizol, a firm that is part of billionaire US investor Warren Buffett's empire, and within a day its odour had reached millions of people across northern France.
She told AFP there would be an investigation to "determine the origin and establish whether the company was responsible".
The Lubrizol plant, which makes additives for industrial lubricants and paint, shut down production as workers battled to plug the leak.
The leak began early Monday at a plant run by Lubrizol, a firm that is part of billionaire US investor Warren Buffett's empire, and within a day its odour had reached millions of people across northern France.
Authorities said in an earlier statement that a chemical substance at the Lubrizol plant became unstable and caused odours that are similar to those of town gas.
“Bearing in mind the lack of danger, residents of the areas concerned are asked not to call emergency services,” the Interior Ministry said.
Pierre-Jean Payrouse, the director of internal operations for the factory, said he hoped the leak would be stopped by Tuesday evening.
Originally posted by AriesJedi
Thanks OP for posting this, although I knew of the foul odor problem, I didn't realise it could be causing the symptoms we have been having and are still having.
Me and my family live in West Kent and my youngest has been complaining of rotten eggs for a few days.
I used to be an asthmatic and I knew when my lungs were getting fluid buildup and they have a buildup right now. And my eyes do feel teary and gritty.
My eldest has had a low headache for 4 days and fells foggy headed. So much she can't do her degree homework. And my hubby has had a reoccurrance of a cough.
OP What do you think is happening-a volcano we don't know about, or all those volcanoes that went up last week (over 10 more) are having a bad effect on our atmosphere?
It is a chemical asphyxiant like carbon monoxide. Depending on the concentration of the gas, people might exhibit varying symptoms. As Hydrogen sulfide affects the absorption of oxygen, it restricts cellular respiration which can lead to bronchitis and edema in long term exposures. At 0-10ppm : Irritation of throat, eyes and nose leading to watery eyes and nose. At 10-50ppm: causes headaches, dizziness and nausea. At 50-220ppm: Respiratory tract can get irritated, convulsions, can be fatal in severe cases. The rate of dispersion is dependent on the air currents carrying the gas. The gas usually decomposes in air completely by 3 or 4 days. When inhaled, the gas can form stable compounds with the blood. Eventually it can reduce the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood and hence cause respiratory problems. People working in refineries and tanneries are overtly exposed to this gas. And they always run the danger of suffering from respiratory diseases caused due to Hydrogen sulfide. Hydrogen sulfide was found toxic to birds, animals and aquatic life.
In its acute form, hydrogen sulfide intoxication is mainly the result of action on the nervous system. At concentrations of 15 mg/m and above, hydrogen sulfide causes conjunctival irritation, because sulfide and hydrogen sulfide anions are strong bases. Hydrogen sulfide affects the sensory nerves in the conjunctivae, so that pain is diminished rapidly and the tissue damage is greater. Serious eye damage is caused by a concentration of 70 mg/m. At higher concentrations (above 225 mg/m, or 150 ppm), hydrogen sulfide has a paralysing effect on the olfactory perception, so that the odour can no longer be recognized as a warning signal. At higher concentrations, respiratory irritation is the predominant symptom, and at a concentration of around 400 mg/m there is a risk of pulmonary oedema. At even higher concentrations there is strong stimulation of the central nervous system (CNS), with hyperpnoea leading to apnoea, convulsions, unconsciousness, and death. At concentrations of over 1400 mg/m there is immediate collapse. In fatal human intoxication cases, brain oedema, degeneration and necrosis of the cerebral cortex and the basal ganglia have been observed
The argument goes like this: when the climate changed naturally in the past, and the planet emerged from an ice age, large ice sheets covering much of the planet retreated. They were so heavy that the resulting release of pressure on the earth's crust caused it to 'bounce back', triggering earthquakes, tremors, and even volcanic activity along pre-existing fault lines.
According to French radio RTL the owners of the Lubrizol factory will be investigated on suspicion of"endangering the lives of others". On top of the police investigation France’s Ecology Minister Delphine Batho, who has suggested negligence" was the cause of the leak, also announced an official inquiry had been opened to determine the cause of the gas leak and who was responsible. An operation was also underway on Wednesday to neutralize gas leaking from the plant. The process to deal with the leaking Mercaptan gas began at 5am local time and is expected to last a number of nights.
On Tuesday the stench of rotten eggs wafted across Paris and northern France, even reaching across the sea to England. The French press noted how their British counterparts seized the opportunity to engage in their favourite past-time of French bashing. Headlines such as 'Le Pong', 'Poo la la' and 'French stench invades England' could be read online by Tuesday afternoon. "The gas leak has once again given the British press an opportunity to wind up the French," lamented France's La Tribune newspaper.
Originally posted by Rezlooper
Also, the French are getting upset because the British are picking on them
On Tuesday the stench of rotten eggs wafted across Paris and northern France, even reaching across the sea to England. The French press noted how their British counterparts seized the opportunity to engage in their favourite past-time of French bashing. Headlines such as 'Le Pong', 'Poo la la' and 'French stench invades England' could be read online by Tuesday afternoon. "The gas leak has once again given the British press an opportunity to wind up the French," lamented France's La Tribune newspaper.
Source
