HYDROGEN SULFIDE

� Operates two oil spill response bases in the country.

� Marine EIA of Kudankulam nuclear power plant

� Wave energy harnessing design patent filed.

� Spill response equipment design patent filed

Background

� Qualified H2S trainer by ASSE (US).

� Captain of oil tankers - Extensively handled sweet

and sour crudes. Carried out tank washing, gas

freeing and man entry.

� Done finance management in Singapore

� Done EGMP at IIM Bangalore

� Represents India on council of International Spill

Control Organization, a consultant to IMO.

� Trained and experienced incident investigator,

internal auditor of safety management systems.

D.C.Sekhar (MD)AlphaMERS Pvt Ltd

• Invisible

• Flammable

• High toxicity

• Numbs the sense of smell

• Inhibits oxygen transport in blood

• Heavier than air

• Corrosive

• Causes pyrophores

• Sulfide stress cracking

General properties of H2S

S

HH

PHYSICAL STATE

260 deg C Self Ignition temperature

-60 deg C Boiling Point

-85 deg C Freezing Point

Physical state of H2S

UFL 44%

Hydrocarbon

Oxygen

LFL 4%

Flammability diagram

Outputs of burning or flaring

CO

H2S

CO2

SO2

Flaring

H2S + H20 = WEAK ACID

H2S combines with water with the mucous in

our body and forms a weak acid.

This happens in the eyes, mouth, throat and lungs.

This causes eyes to burn, cough and pulmonary

odema.

Hyper susceptible population –

Previous lung problems

Has consumed alcohol within last 24 hours

Effect on mucous membrane

Flow of oxygen

Pyrophores

And

Sulfide stress cracking

Structural failures and risks

Escape !!!

ANY READING ON H2S MONITOR ?

H2S Source

Escaping the plume

Action level ?

Escape

Cartridge type masks or escape units for

emergency escape.

Rescue and planned work

SCBA or combination +ive pressure supplied air for

planned work in H2S environment.

Respiratory protection

Currently practised levels are PEL 10 ppm and STEL 15 ppm.

Ceiling level 20 ppm. For a ten hour shift, the TLV is lesser !!

ACGIH (US) recommended PEL 1 ppm and STEL 5 ppm in 2010.

Is this practicable ?

Sludge control work in tanks – is this PEL practical ?

Accuracy and resolution of the measuring equipment

New PEL by ACGIH

� One of the popularly used gas instruments brand :

� SENSOR: H2S (Hydrogen Sulfide)

� RANGE: 0-200 ppm

� RESOLUTION: 1 ppm

� REPRODUCIBILITY: +2 ppm or 10% of reading,

� whichever is greater (normal temperature range*)

Resolution and accuracy

PEL and STEL

Calibration regime of measuring equipment

Flaring best practices

Permissible escape breathing devices

Benchmarking our standards

Long term human effect due to exposure

Hyper susceptible population

H2S embritlement of steel

Possible study areas

THANK YOU !!!

www.alphamers.com

91-9980222870

sekhar@alphamers.com