What is hydrogen selenide?

Hydrogen selenide, H _{2 is an inorganic chemical gas at a room temperature that has a harmful odor reminiscent of decay or rotten eggs such as a hydrogen sulphide to which it is closely related. The gas is colorless and flammable and can cause acute lung damage, eye damage and death after exposure, although no human death has been reported in the US when it comes into contact with the wet membranes. Red selenium is a solid allotrop metal selenium that has a much lower toxicity level. H 2 se. Ethanol has 7,000 mg per 1/10}

th kilogram of body weight exposure for 50% mortality, which is equivalent to risk level. This puts red selenium into a class, which, according to current chemical standards, is considered non -toxic and makes it somewhat more practical to work with hydrogen selenide in industrial processes.

Centers for disease control (CDC) in the US, however, estimated thatThe level of gas toxicity of hydrogen selenide in its original form has an immediate danger to life and health (IDLH) only two parts per million. In the tests on guinea pigs, which were exposed to 1.8 parts per million for two hours, 12.5% ​​of test animals died, and this percentage increased to 25% of death with four hours of exposure of 2.1 parts per million. The safety and health management at work (OSHA) The permissible exposure limit (PEL) for hydrogen selenium selenium is set at 00.05 parts per million.

Since hydrogen selenide is soluble in water, the limits of exposure for accidental introduction into the supply of drinking water are also set. In the US, this safe limit is set to 0.01 milligrams per liter of water from the Agency for Protection (EPA). In European countries, such as Germany, the safe exposure limits are considered even lower, to 0.008 milligrams per liter of water.

Despite these disadvantages, hydrogen selenide is an important industrial gas. Serves as an industrial acidlina or oxidative against metal and semiconductors industry. Because the gas has the potential to be highly explosive when exposed to air or even a distant spark that can cause a flash on the source vessel, the hydrogen selenium cylinder for gas storage is maintained at less than one atmosphere to minimize the possibility of gas leakage. As an industrial chemical, it is usually supplied at a concentration of 99.99% cleanliness with the trace elements of the hydrogen sulphide and other gases present such as nitrogen and methane. Storage containers are made of steel reinforced with carbon and are designed to hold gas for an estimated life of 18 months before they pose any risk of degradation.