Sewer gas is gases produced in sewers by decomposing sewage and other decomposing organic matter. It can refer to: Image of a sewer pipe // Function Sewers transport wastewater from buildings to treatment facilities. ... Sewage is the liquid water produced by human society which typically contains washing water, laundry waste, faeces, urine and other liquid or semi-liquid wastes. ...

• Methane: explosion and anoxia risks, as with firedamp in a coalmine.
• Hydrogen sulfide

Sewer gas is a mixture of gases formed during the decomposition of household or industrial wastes. These include hydrogen sulfide, ammonia (which are toxic), as well as methane, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. Methane is a significant and plentiful fuel which is the principal component of natural gas. ... Hypoxia is a pathological condition in which the body as a whole (generalised hypoxia) or region of the body (tissue hypoxia) is deprived of adequate oxygen supply. ... Firedamp is a flammable gas found in coal mines. ... Wyoming coal mine Coal mining is the mining of coal. ... Flash point -82. ... Flash point -82. ... Ammonia is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula NH3. ... Methane is a significant and plentiful fuel which is the principal component of natural gas. ... Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound composed of one carbon and two oxygen atoms. ... Sulfur dioxide (or Sulphur dioxide) has the chemical formula SO2. ... Nitrogen has six different oxides: Nitric oxide (NO) Nitrous oxide (N2O) Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) Dinitrogen trioxide (N2O3) Dinitrogen tetroxide (N2O4) Dinitrogen pentoxide (N2O5) The term nitrogen oxide is imprecise and can be used to refer to any of these or to a mixture of them. ...

Plumbing drains' traps are used to create a water seal that prevents sewer gases from entering buildings. In addition, plumbing vents allow sewer gases to be exhausted outdoors. However, infrequently used plumbing fixtures may not pass enough water to keep their water seals from evaporating with time, especially in dry weather. The result is the most common means of sewage gas entering buildings, and can be solved easily by regularly using the fixtures or adding water to their drains. One of the most common traps to dry out, possibly unnoticed, are floor drains like those typically placed near home furnaces and water heaters. Infrequently used utility sinks, tubs, showers, and restrooms are also common culprits. Trap primers are available that automatically add water to remote or little used traps such as these. Blocked vents, typically at the roof, can also cause water seals to fail via siphoning of the water. The plumber wrench for screwing various pipes Plumbing, from the Latin for lead (plumbum), is the skilled trade of working with pipes and tubing for potable water systems and for drainage of waste. ... ... A buildings waste-disposal system has two parts: the drainage system and the venting system. ... A plumbing fixture is a device which is part of a system to deliver and drain away water, but which is also configured to enable a particular use. ... A furnace is a device for heating air or any other fluid. ... A trio of propane hot water heaters. ... A trap primer is a plumbing device or valve that adds water to traps. ...

Exposure to sewer gas can also happen at home if it seeps in via a floor drain or a leaking or blocked plumbing vent on the roof or even through cracks in a building’s foundation. Sewer gas tends to accumulate in basements, but can mix with all the air in a house. Individuals who work in sanitation industries or on farms might be exposed on the job if they clean or maintain municipal sewers, manure storage tanks or home septic tanks. Image of a sewer pipe // Function Sewers transport wastewater from buildings to treatment facilities. ... Animal manure is often a mixture of animals feces and bedding straw, as in this example from a stable. ... A septic tank is part of a small scale sewage treatment system often referred to as a septic system, which consists of the tank itself and a septic drain field. ...

Sewer gas often has a “rotten eggs” smell, which comes from the hydrogen sulfide it contains. Exposure to low levels of this toxic chemical can irritate the eyes, cause a cough or sore throat, shortness of breath and fluid accumulation in the lungs. Prolonged low-level exposure may cause fatigue, loss of appetite, headaches, irritability, poor memory and dizziness. High concentrations of hydrogen sulfide can interfere with the sense of smell so you don’t sense the “rotten eggs” smell that warns of its presence. At very high concentrations, hydrogen sulfide can cause loss of consciousness and death. Flash point -82. ... A chemical substance is any material substance used in or obtained by a process in chemistry: A chemical compound is a substance consisting of two or more chemical elements that are chemically combined in fixed proportions. ... The lungs flank the heart and great vessels in the chest cavity. ... A headache is a condition of mild to severe pain in the head; sometimes upper back or neck pain may also be interpreted as a headache. ... Flash point -82. ...

If you suspect that sewer gas is leaking into your home first ventilate your building and then fill all your traps with water. If not solved then contact your local public health department; try to get an inspection. Alternatively, you can call a plumber to find and repair a leak. Because sewer gas is highly flammable, and might be confused with a natural gas or propane leak, don’t take any chances. If the smell is strong, call the fire department, avoid striking matches or using appliances that produce sparks or flames, and get your family out of the building. Ventilation good and very bad Ventilation is air circulation of air, typically between a room, a tunnel, etc. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

See also

• Plumbing
• Potable cold and hot water supply
• Rainwater, surface, and subsurface water drainage
• Septic systems