hydrogen sulfide

noun

1. a colorless, flammable, water-soluble, cumulatively poisonous gas, H 2 S, having the odor of rotten eggs: used chiefly in the manufacture of chemicals, in metallurgy, and as a reagent in laboratory analysis.

hydrogen sulfide

1. A colorless, poisonous gas that smells like rotten eggs. It is formed naturally by decaying organic matter and is the smelly component of intestinal gas. It is also emitted by volcanoes and fumaroles. Hydrogen sulfide is used in the petroleum, rubber, and mining industries, and in making sulfur. Chemical formula: H 2 S.

Word History and Origins

Origin of hydrogen sulfide¹

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

But now this bioluminescent algae is dying and releasing hydrogen sulfide gas, which causes a rotten egg smell, explained Laura Rink, associate director at Heal the Bay Aquarium in Santa Monica.

From Los Angeles Times

Residents living near the river say they have been suffering unexplained illnesses, including gastrointestinal issues and chronic breathing problems, because of the stench of hydrogen sulfide.

From Los Angeles Times

Supervisor Nora Vargas’ office said in an email that “there is no imminent threat to public health from hydrogen cyanide and hydrogen sulfide.”

From Los Angeles Times

Girolamo Bentivoglio, chief of firefighters in Palermo, said the workers had breathed in hydrogen sulfide, a gas often present at waste treatment plants that is toxic in high concentrations.

From New York Times

In addition to alleviating landfill capacity issues, advocates say composting would reduce lung-irritating hydrogen sulfide and planet-warming methane, which are both produced by organic waste decomposing in landfills.

From Los Angeles Times