[Closed] Gas leak from France hits our shores

WHen I was at uni, there was a story of a postgrad student in our department who was working with mercaptans.

He chucked some waste down a sink and about half an hour later they evacuated the university library next door (at the time it was supposedly the biggest library in UK, maybe europe 😆

(no idea if it's true though 😳 )

the local police department confirmed a stench like “sweat, garlic and rotten eggs”.

I love the continental imagination in that statement.

Quite literally, chapeau!

But it is only an additive to make gas smell of gas...

Mercaptan is a colourless additive used in natural gas because its acrid smell enables gas leaks to be detected. It is non-toxic but can be flammable in high concentrations.

Well, oddly enough, earlier today I had to go across to our other unit, and as I went outside I thought, 'is that a gas leak?' I'm in Chippenham, North Wilts, 100 miles from London!

It's insanely powerful stuff. I went found thefactory of the UK manufacturer and they were telling us about the affected radius if they split an egg-cup of the stuff. Cant remember the figures, but it was gobsmacking, and a little unbelievable. I'd like to know how much escaped here.

dp

A cupful of mercaptan (stench as it is commonly known) could evacuate a medium sized town. it is the chemical that is put into gas to give it its gas smell.

Smelt it in Portsmouth at lunchtime. I thought it smelt like engine oil

I fart in your general direction...

Taff - Member

Smelt it in Portsmouth at lunchtime. I thought it smelt like engine oil

Got wafts of it across Bristol yesterday. Faint, but when you've worked with large quantities of fuel before, any whiff of potential leak can be detected!