Natural Gas Leak in the British North Sea

Natural gas drilling platforms were evacuated in the British North Sea because of a gas leak that could be easily ignited. Methane as well as hydrogen sulfide gasses are present in the potentially explosive mix, as well as leaking liquid gas into the water. A well that is primarily natural gas would dissipate into the air, however, this well contains what is termed “sour gas” which contains high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide gas. The leak is proving to be difficult to cap, because the distance required to keep the crew safe is not conducive for options such as drilling relief wells. Though chemical dispersants have not been deemed necessary for the amount of liquid gas in the sea, every precaution is being taken, as to the safety of all involved. Levels of hydrogen sulfide and methane gasses will have to be measured constantly as the capping and recovery process of this disaster begins.

Keywords: methane gas, hydrogen sulfide gas, gas detection, D12 Gas Transmitter

Ammonia Gas Sickens 300

Ammonia gas is believed to have sickened 300 workers at a Malaysian Hyundai plant at the beginning of April. Maintenance workers arrived and smelled the gas, becoming dizzy, nauseated, and watery-eyed. However, when they tried to get out in order to escape the ammonia gas, they found the gates locked, and were forced to wait for a key to be found. Several plant workers were sent to local hospitals for suspected ammonia gas inhalation. Emergency crews were unable to find the source of the gas leak, though they continued to monitor the plant for ammonia gas.

All of that could have been avoided, if they had simply obtained an ATI SeriesC16 PortaSens II Portable Gas Leak Detector.

ATIs Series C16 PortaSens II Portable Gas Leak Detector is a versatile tool for performing regular leak checks in gas storage areas, around process equipment and piping, or in confined spaces prior to entry. A unique feature of the C16 detector is its ability to measure a variety of different gases by simply inserting the appropriate sensor for that gas. This means that one detector can be used to measure over 30 different gases or vapors, reducing the need to purchase individual detectors for each type of gas.

Keywords: Ammonia Gas, Ammonia Gas Sensor, Ammonia Gas Detector, Ammonia Gas Analyzer, Gas Leak Detector

Natural Gas Drilling and Water Safety

Natural gas drilling and water safety have lately been debated in Dimock, Pennsylvania, and the Environmental Protection Agency has had to step in and test water for contamination. While the EPA says that the water is testing as safe for consumption, residents of the town are claiming that their water is contaminated because of the natural gas drilling process known as “fracking” in which chemicals are injected into the ground to release deposits of natural gas. While regulators determined that the gas company did contaminate an aquifer with explosive methane gas, the water was still safe to drink. The EPA also determined that the drinking water was safe, though residents have a pending lawsuit that says otherwise.

Keywords: methane gas, gas analyzer, gas detector, C12-17 Combustible Gas Transmitter, gas transmitter

Advances Made in Hazardous Gas Detection

Researchers at the University of Pittsburg and the National Energy Technology Laboratory have developed a method to assemble gold nanowires. That's nice, you say, but what will that be used for, nano-necklaces? No, no, these gold nanowires have much more important work to do. These nanowires are a cheaper way of detecting hazardous gasses, such as hydrogen sulfide gas, etc, that are present in natural gas. They can detect the hydrogen sulfide in a mixture of gasses, even. The abilities of these gold nanowires are comperable to the existing technologies' sensitivity to hydrogen sulfide, and other hazardous gasses. The next step in the research proceedure is testing using samples from real natural gas wells. And after that, maybe we can hope to see more affordable, and more portable hazardous gas detectors and analyzers

Want to read more? Check this out:www.news.pitt.edu/goldnanowires

Keywords: Combustable Gas Detector, Hydrogen Gas Detection, Hydrogen Sulfide Gas Detection, Hazardous Gas Detection, Hydrogen Gas Analyzer, Hydrogen Sulfide Gas Analyzer

Methane Gas Found Near Landfill

A landfill in Illinois is producing and emitting methane gas, and a system for capturing the gas is in production. The captured gas would then be connected to the power plant for the landfill. Until the recovery system is in place, however, area home owners are at risk of having methane gas in their homes, a problem that the waste management department will help to solve. The landfill itself, is having readings taken with methane gas detectors and analyzers, via probes, in catch basins, and in manholes. The production of the methane gas, officials have noted, is varying in concentration and pressure, depending upon the weather conditions.

Keywords: Methane Gas, Methane Gas Detection, Methane Gas Analysis, Hazardous Gas Detector, Gas Transmitter, Hazardous Gas Analyzer

Q45H-79 Total Chlorine Monitor

While chlorine has become the most widely used disinfectant in the world, there are still some applications where monitoring chlorine residuals can present a challenge. Multiple forms of chlorine in drinking water, wastewater effluent, and cooling tower water require a Total Chlorine measurement to ensure that all chemical species are quantified. In some cases, the chlorine concentration is quite low and often below the detection limits of conventional monitors.

 ATI has developed a new total residual chlorine monitor with improved sensitivity and zero stability to meet these applications. The Q45H-79 Total Chlorine Monitor uses standard EPA approved iodometric chemistry where, by addition of buffer and potassium iodide, the various chlorine compounds in solution react to form iodine. The iodine released in this reaction is measured using a highly sensitive amperometric sensor capable of 1 PPB sensitivity. The output of this sensor is linear with respect to concentration and provides fast response for both upscale and downscale concentration changes.

  Q45H-79 Total Chlorine monitors (analyzers, Transmitters) are available in two versions, one that includes all components conveniently integrated into a NEMA 4X fiberglass enclosure, and a second that separates the chlorine monitor from the chemistry system for applications where a more convenient display location is desired. A sample inlet filter assembly attached to the side of the enclosure allows filtered sample to be drawn from the inlet flow. Sample must be pumped to the inlet assembly at a rate high enough to insure the desired response time for the measurement system. Excess sample is bypassed to any convenient drain location.

Typhoid Outbreak Due to Abscence of Chlorine Monitors

Eight-year-old Jessa Arquillano asked her parents for tasty food when she was sick.

That was her request just before she died on Saturday, a victim of typhoid fever in northwest Tuburan town.

Tuburan Mayor Aljun Diamante declared a state of calamity in his town, where Jessa was one of four deaths and over 600 cases of suspected typhoid in an outbreak that erupted last week.

Fecal coliform was found in the town’s three water sources, said Renan Cimafranca of the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (RESU) in Region 7 yesterday.

Water samples were examined using rapid testing kits.

Cimafranca said he suspected that the bacteria, which is found in human or animal waste, was washed away by the rain and mixed with open springs in barangays Marmol and Kalangahan.

It affected other barangays because the water pipes were  interconnected, he said.

Contaminated water is the main suspect in the town’s rural water system, which lacks chlorine filters and relies on three spring sources.

Mayor Diamante confirmed that there were no chlorinators in the town’s spring-fed waterworks system, a condition he said existed before he was elected mayor.

“We just installed them now when the cases erupted,” he told CDN.

The mayor declared a state of calamity last March 2 because of the wave of cases of fever, severe diarrhea and headaches, which are symptoms of typhoid.

Patients come from 20 of Tuburan’s 54 barangays.

In Manila, Dr. Eric Tayag, director of the National Epidemiolgoy Center of the Department of Health, said  the DOH decided to declare an outbreak pending results of laboratory tests because the number of cases in the area had exceeded the average.

“

Outbreaks are declared when cases are more than the five-year average for a particular place,” Tayag explained.

“We want to confirm the diagnosis that is why we are waiting for the laboratory test results.”  “There are strong suspicions that contaminated water is the source of the outbreak and we know that typhoid fever is water-borne” he added.

Jessa suffered fever for a week. She was admitted in Tuburan District Hospital last Friday, March 2.  She died the next day and was immediately buried in the public cemetery.

Cimafranca, head of the RESU in Region 7, confirmed that the four patients died of typhoid ilietis, a condition where the patient’s intestines sustain holes caused by the typhoid bacteria and hemorrhage.

He said the contaminated water supply was found in spring sources in barangays of Marmol, Alegria and Kalangahan, where Tuburan draws its water.

Tuburan is a second class municipality located 96.7 kilometers from Cebu City.

Cimafranca said the DOH already declared a “code red” in the crowded district hospital.

Typhoid fever is an acute, life-threatening illness caused by the bacterium Salmonella enterica.

People fall ill from drinking water or eating food contaminated by the human waste of another person infected with the bacteria.

Among the symptoms of typhoid fever are fever, diarrhea or constipation, los of appetite, and presence of blood in the stool.

Cimafranca said RESU and medical staff met with town officials last Saturday and urged them to install chlorinators in the water sources.

CDN visited the water source in Alegria, where a concrete water tank stores the collected water.

Water service was stopped Saturday, said Alan Batoon, who lives nearby. An improvised chlorinator was installed Sunday night by municipal workers.

Batoon said his two children fell ill after drinking the water. Residents were advised to buy mineral water or boil their drinking water for 10 minutes

Analytical Technology