Why does natural gas smell so bad?
In its original state, natural gas is colorless and odorless, so a chemical odorant called mercaptan is added for safety reasons. Mercaptan is non-toxic, but it stinks. That makes it easier to detect in case of a gas leak. Some people compare the smell to rotten eggs, and in a concentrated form, the stench is nearly unbearable. How safe is natural gas? Natural gas isn’t poisonous or toxic, unlike carbon monoxide. When handled responsibly by providers like CoServ Gas, natural gas is a clean, safe source of energy. However, it can still be dangerous in certain scenarios: • Natural gas is highly flammable, so if a leak in an enclosed area (such as your home or office) combines with an open flame or spark, it may ignite. • Someone in an enclosed area with a gas leak could suffocate – not because the gas is poisonous, but because natural gas displaces oxygen. • A gas leak in an open area (such as outdoors) may ignite. How do I recognize a gas leak? • You smell rotten eggs. • You see dead ve
