Breathing in LPG

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autorouter

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I just came across this sad story, and noticed the cause of death was breathing in butane causing a heart attack. Apparently propane has a similar effect, and this is what LPG is made of. So I thought a heads up might be a good idea. OK, the horrible smell of LPG is enough to make you ventilate the place, never mind the explosion risk, but here's yet another hazard to keep you cowering under your blanket.:eek::eek::eek: I never knew about the heart attack risk, I will be more careful in future.
www.bbc.co.uk

Dad's warning after girl, 14, dies from inhaling deodorant

Giorgia Green's parents want clearer product labelling to warn of the potential dangers.
www.bbc.co.uk
 
Vary sad, as an asthmatic I never use the stuff but when the grandkids have stayed the night I make sure they use spray well away from me, even then the smell irritates my lungs.
 
I can't stand them, or any type of spray, as they can affect my breathing albeit mildly as I get away from the source immediately. I'm the same with any strong smelling stuff though so not just aerosols and can't use bleach etc and stay well away when hubby does.

It makes you wonder what the risks are from other non-aerosol products.
 
Many years ago I sadly saw a young girl inhaling an aerosol for a high on the streets of London, I think it was deodorant and god knows what that must do to your lungs….
 
I agree with all the comments about deodorants. But my main concern was that it was the butane in the aerosol can that caused the heart attack. Butane is LPG. One kind anyway. The other kind of LPG is propane, and that is apparently just as bad. How many people on here get a lungful of gas as they change a gas bottle or test the gas flow? I didn't know it could trigger a heart attack.

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Years ago it was sniffing glue, now its sticking Butane, Helium or Deodorant up their nose, visit any mass public venue and the place will be littered with empty capsules.
Its hard to stop kids trying anything that offers a "High" always has been, I guess always will, and there will be the occasional loss because of it. Tragic news for the parents, lets hope the message stops a few more from trying it. Social media needs to take down all videos of kids doing it, but that's a problem I fear is well out of control now.

Hopefully though there is a hellover difference between us smelling LPG when filling up our motorhomes, Changing over cylinders, or maybe igniting an old style gas hob if it doesn't have an igniter.
LES
 
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Minxy said:
I can't stand them, or any type of spray, as they can affect my breathing albeit mildly as I get away from the source immediately. I'm the same with any strong smelling stuff though so not just aerosols and can't use bleach etc and stay well away when hubby does.

It makes you wonder what the risks are from other non-aerosol products.
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(Duck reaches for the bear spray before going to the Apple Store in Hull )

:whistle2: :imoutahere:

seriously, I know exactly what you mean - some of it leaves me gasping
 
Yes a very sad story. I wonder if our carbon monoxide alarms detect the pure gas? When I was about 16 a good friend of mine at the time lost his brother to inhaling an aerosol. My friend and his family are lovely people, his brother for whatever reason just tried and died from apparent asphyxia via his throat freezing or similar.
 
TinaLes said:
Years ago it was sniffing glue, now its sticking Butane, Helium or Deodorant up their nose, visit any mass public venue and the place will be littered with empty capsules.
Its hard to stop kids trying anything that offers a "High" always has been, I guess always will, and there will be the occasional loss because of it. Tragic news for the parents, lets hope the message stops a few more from trying it. Social media needs to take down all videos of kids doing it, but that's a problem I fear is well out of control now.

Hopefully though there is a hellover difference between us smelling LPG when filling up our motorhomes, Changing over cylinders, or maybe igniting an old style gas hob if it doesn't have an igniter.
LES
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Many years ago when I was helping a builder/carpenter he made some wardrobes and then applied glue (think it was bostick) and a veneer jeez it absolutely stank and did get a little heady we had to go outside for a while to clear the head. Can’t understand anyone wants to get High this way. It was also that summer I drank coke a cola as it was hot, I quickly realised it was not quenching my thirst and was getting addicted to it. Decided never to have any more cola it’s horrible stuff goodness knows what it does to peoples bodies.
 
I live a very sheltered life, so not up with current drug taking. I often see small silver metal capsules laying around in areas. They look the same as CO2 cylinders but assume they may be something else, somewhat more sinister. Anyone know what they could be?

Geoff

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donkey said:
I live a very sheltered life, so not up with current drug taking. I often see small silver metal capsules laying around in areas. They look the same as CO2 cylinders but assume they may be something else, somewhat more sinister. Anyone know what they could be?

Geoff
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That’s laughing gas. Another craze.
 
Surprised by the number of deaths from it would be interesting to know how many were totally accidental rather than through misuse.
Probably not much danger to us as any gas released messing about with cylinders is going to be in the open air not in a closed ROOM, same when filling with LPG.
If you had a leak in the van it would be at low pressure after the regulator so a fairly low concentration.
 
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It wouldn't be the lpg that directly caused the heart attack. It would have been the low oxygen level caused by displacement of the air by the propane.

Such events are very very rare and I would stop worrying about it.
 
If you've worked in industry or a job using chemicals and gas, your be aware of safety data sheets (MSDS). If not you carry on regardless. As everybody else does in life. Not our/there fault. Have a look at the attached one for lpg, from one company. I've just copied a small part of it. All propellants also have MSDS's.

This material is an asphyxiant. Asphyxiants may reduce the oxygen concentration in the air to
dangerous levels. Symptoms of lack of oxygen include increased depth and frequency of
breathing, air hunger, dizziness, headache, nausea or loss of consciousness.
Cold burns (frostbite) will result from skin/ eye contact with liquid.
Compressed gas can be very hazardous depending upon its pressure. It can cause serious eye
damage by propelling dust and other solid particles into the eyes with great force. Compressed
gas can be injected through the skin into the blood stream. A gas bubble in the blood stream
can be fatal. The pressure of compressed gas and the noise created by its release may cause
hearing damage. Seek immediate medical attention if injury has been caused by compressed
gas.

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Chris said:
That’s laughing gas. Another craze.
Click to expand...
On occasion I have the CO2 cylinders from the bikes 🚴 and normally just place them to one side and dispose of them (6-8 at a time) I do wonder if the collection men spot them and think we are addicts 😆
 
daveclare said:
If you've worked in industry or a job using chemicals and gas, your be aware of safety data sheets (MSDS). If not you carry on regardless. As everybody else does in life. Not our/there fault. Have a look at the attached one for lpg, from one company. I've just copied a small part of it. All propellants also have MSDS's.

This material is an asphyxiant. Asphyxiants may reduce the oxygen concentration in the air to
dangerous levels. Symptoms of lack of oxygen include increased depth and frequency of
breathing, air hunger, dizziness, headache, nausea or loss of consciousness.
Cold burns (frostbite) will result from skin/ eye contact with liquid.
Compressed gas can be very hazardous depending upon its pressure. It can cause serious eye
damage by propelling dust and other solid particles into the eyes with great force. Compressed
gas can be injected through the skin into the blood stream. A gas bubble in the blood stream
can be fatal. The pressure of compressed gas and the noise created by its release may cause
hearing damage. Seek immediate medical attention if injury has been caused by compressed
gas.
Click to expand...
All MSDSs are scary. The hazard of fire and the explosion of lpg is the bit to worry about. Not asphyxiation.
 
When I was around 19/20 early 80’s, an old school friend of mine died by inhaling deodorant. Not by spraying it about his bedroom and on items though.
By taking the spray tip off , putting it between their teeth and pushing then breathing it in . Just to get high.
This boy was the son of the local doctor and primary schoolteacher.
Not a vagrant or known druggy. He’d started off by sniffing glue out of a bag.
Very sad.
 
Many years ago, in another life, I did course on substance misuse and in particular what we knew as "glue sniffing" but what some in the medical world knew as "volatile substance misuse" (VSM). It was back in the time when glue sniffing was the "shock horror" headline of the day.

Apart from being surprised at the range of volatile substances that can be abused (who knew table tennis balls?) the major learning point was how the craze was effectively ended by an agreement in all the media not to report it - research in the USA had proved a direct link between media coverage of deaths from VSM and the craze picking up, and by educating manufacturers and sellers including proscribing the sale of various substances to children. Certainly my experience of that combined approach was seeing far fewer kids trying to use whatever the latest substance was. That doesn't mean they were not still getting high, it just meant that they tended to stick to safer means of doing so.

These days with TikTok and suchlike the media blanket approach can only have a limited effect but I worry every time I see an article that in effect will steer someone in a direction to try something they might not otherwise have thought to do . . .

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gpat said:
It wouldn't be the lpg that directly caused the heart attack. It would have been the low oxygen level caused by displacement of the air by the propane.

Such events are very very rare and I would stop worrying about it.
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So is this bit wrong then?

"Butane - the main ingredient of Giorgia's deodorant - was recorded as having been involved in 324 deaths between 2001 and 2020. Propane and isobutane - also in Giorgia's deodorant - were mentioned in 123 and 38 deaths respectively.
The ONS said the substances had been linked to a number of deaths, noting: "The inhalation of butane or propane gas can lead to heart failure.""
 
A lot of this is due to drink being so expensive even on an aprentice wage i could go out 5 nights week to indulge in the legal high of alcohol
Kids are just looking for a buzz they can afford
 
autorouter said:
So is this bit wrong then?

"Butane - the main ingredient of Giorgia's deodorant - was recorded as having been involved in 324 deaths between 2001 and 2020. Propane and isobutane - also in Giorgia's deodorant - were mentioned in 123 and 38 deaths respectively.
The ONS said the substances had been linked to a number of deaths, noting: "The inhalation of butane or propane gas can lead to heart failure.""
Click to expand...
No it's not wrong. You are misunderstanding me. I'm saying it's asphyxiation but not poisoning. Any gas other than oxygen will kill you if it displaces the oxygen.
 
LPG is dangerous for a number of reasons, obviously it’s high flammability, but also, as all yacht owners know, its ability to replace air and therefore suffocate life. I understand it’s the number one exterminator for badgers, just squirted into their setts….

MH are less at risk from suffocation, as unlike a yacht dont have a watertight hull.

interesting about heart issues, can’t say it’s had that effect on me though.
 
When I was at university we had an issue with wasps and flies in the Hall of Residence. The pest control people came in but either didn't put up warning signs or someone took them down ...... anyway a friend of mine ended up in A&E after passing out from breathing the fumes of the extermination gas. She was okay but it was touch and go for a while.

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Sniffing butane refills and deodorant cans has been around since the 70s if not before. School friend put an end to it at my school when he passed out and appeared to stop breathing in lunch break!
Kids and teens will experiment whether we like it or not, we live in hope that they are smart enough to know what to avoid etc ...
 
LPG is heavier than air anyway so not so easy to breathe in by mistake in a vehicle, especially if you have the required gas drop out vents fitted.
 
Puddleduck said:
When I was at university we had an issue with wasps and flies in the Hall of Residence. The pest control people came in but either didn't put up warning signs or someone took them down ...... anyway a friend of mine ended up in A&E after passing out from breathing the fumes of the extermination gas. She was okay but it was touch and go for a while.
Click to expand...
Why would you have to be warned about not breathing extermination gas?
 
gpat said:
No it's not wrong. You are misunderstanding me. I'm saying it's asphyxiation but not poisoning. Any gas other than oxygen will kill you if it displaces the oxygen.
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Yes, I understand about asphyxiation due to displacement of oxygen. I understand about flammability and explosion risk. But they are implying that there is a risk of triggering a heart attack with a lungful of butane or propane. That's something I didn't know about. Obviously very rare, or we motorhomers would be the first to know. But so are motorhome fires and carbon monoxide deaths, and we still take precautions against them. It's easy to avoid, I'm sure, if you know about it. But is it a real risk?

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