Hydrogen Gas Inhalers Pose Serious Explosion Risks, Study Warns
- Authors
- Yusuke Ichikawa, Shin-Ichi Hirano, Bunpei Sato, Haru Yamamoto, Yoshiyasu Takefuji, Fumitake Satoh
- Journal
- Medical Gas Research
- Year
- 2023
- DOI
- 10.4103/2045-9912.344972
- Study Type
- clinical
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Japan
- Health Condition
- General
- Body System
- Respiratory
TL;DR
Some companies sell hydrogen gas inhalers that can still explode even though they claim to be safe, and this study found that gas leaks inside the device are what cause these dangerous explosions. The researchers created guidelines to help people pick safer hydrogen inhalers so they don't get hurt.
Key Finding
Hydrogen gas inhalers can explode even when producing 100% pure hydrogen, with internal gas leakage identified as the primary cause of explosion incidents.
Summary
This study reviewed past accidents involving hydrogen gas inhalers to understand why they explode. Researchers found that hydrogen gas leaking inside the device was the main cause of explosions. Surprisingly, even inhalers that produce 100% pure hydrogen can explode, contradicting manufacturer claims that high purity makes them safe. The study provides guidelines for choosing safer hydrogen inhalers based on what caused past accidents.
Practical Takeaway
This is a safety analysis of past accidents rather than a study of hydrogen's health effects. If you're considering a hydrogen inhaler, this research suggests that manufacturer claims about safety based on high purity alone are not reliable, and that device design features preventing gas leakage should be a key selection criterion. However, this study does not address whether hydrogen inhalers are beneficial for health.
Abstract
Despite the fact that we have reported on the dangers of the explosion of hydrogen gas inhalers, hydrogen gas inhalers with explosive hazards are, as a matter of fact, still being sold today. In this study, we investigated past reports of hydrogen gas inhaler explosion accidents to clarify the causes of these explosion incidents. As a result of this investigation, we found that the central cause was the leakage of hydrogen gas inside the hydrogen gas inhaler. Although it is said that the explosive concentration of hydrogen is between 10% and 75%, and that the gas does not explode above 75% due to the lack of oxygen, we confirmed through a series of ignition experiments that explosions can occur even in hydrogen gas inhalers that produce 100% hydrogen gas. Some manufacturers of such highly concentrated hydrogen gas inhalers claim that the high concentration and purity of hydrogen is safe and that there is no risk of explosion. We believe that manufacturing or selling such products that pose a risk of explosion or detonation is a violation of social justice. This paper presents ideas for selecting safe hydrogen gas inhalers based on a survey of past accident cases.