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hau_ma03
New Contributor

Is it safe to inhale hydrogen gas?

Hi, I came across a video about Meals Ready to Eat (MRE) and I was intrigued by the chemical reaction behind it.   Hydrogen gas is produced when water is added into the packet.  I was wondering is it safe to inhale the hydrogen gas that it produces?  Thank you so much for your time.  

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jack97
New Contributor

Re: Is it safe to inhale hydrogen gas?

Hydrogen can be an asphyxiant by displacing the oxygen in the air.  However, for the volume of hydrogen needed to do that in a normal sized room, the bigger issue would be explosion risks.

For a MRE, the amount of hydrogen produced is very small and will quickly dissipate.  Any hydrogen you breathe in from the MRE will be less than the explosion limit in air. 

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