Sulfur Dioxide

by Angela
(United States)

SO2 Molecule Diagram

SO2 Molecule Diagram

how do you detect sulphur dioxide in the air, without fancy equipment?


Barry's Response - Angela:

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is a heavy, colorless gas with an odor like a struck match; sulfur dioxide can irritate the eyes, nose and respiratory tract. That's probably the easiest way to identify it in an acute basis. Sometimes it has been described as an acidic smell. A sudden breath can produce a burning tickle in the airway and possibly a cough.

If you detect the smell of rotten eggs, then you have found hydrogen sulphide. This is a very strong smelling gas, so strong in fact it can cause your sense of smell to fade after a while. Problem: this gas is toxic and you need to detect it and escape it, and not be fooled into thinking it is dissipating when it's not. People in the Alberta energy industry have died breathing this vapour.

If there is a real danger, you might need to get professional consulting and monitoring in the area.

You might have reason for concern


Shortness of breath, wheezing, and aggravation of existing respiratory conditions like asthma can be caused by high levels of SO2. Long-term exposure to SO2 can be bad for your health.

Impact on the environment: SO2 emissions contribute to air pollution and acid rain, which harms ecosystems, vegetation, and water bodies. It can damage forests, damage crops, and acidify lakes and streams, affecting aquatic life.

Maintaining good air quality means monitoring and controlling SO2. SO2 emissions contribute to overall air pollution, which can harm public health, the environment, and even change the climate.

Regulations: Many countries have set limits on SO2 emissions to protect humans and the environment. Businesses, industries, and governments need to comply with these regulations to avoid penalties.

Awareness and Education: Raising awareness about SO2's impact on air quality and health empowers people to make informed choices and reduce their exposure. Educating people about the sources, effects, and prevention of SO2 pollution promotes environmental responsibility.

Individuals and communities can advocate for tighter emission controls, support clean energy alternatives, and make choices that contribute to a healthier environment.

There are some basic methods you can try for detection:



- non-Visual Indicators: You can sometimes smell sulfur dioxide, which smells like burnt matches as indicated above. This method is subjective and not always reliable, especially at low concentrations.

- Effects on plants: High concentrations of sulfur dioxide in the air can cause haze, discoloration of materials (e.g., yellowing of paint), or damage to plants. You might be able to tell if there's a lot of SO2 around by these effects.

- You may have monitoring stations in your area that measure air pollutants, including sulfur dioxide. To get air quality data for your area, check their websites or contact them.

- You can try some DIY methods using basic materials, although they're not as accurate as specialized equipment. You can make a simple SO2 detector by exposing a damp strip of filter paper or white cloth to the air. The sulfur dioxide will react with the moisture in the paper, changing its color (e.g., turning blue or pink). This method doesn't provide precise concentration measurements, but it's qualitative.

These methods can only give you rough indications of sulfur dioxide levels in the air. Gas analyzers or air quality monitoring instruments specifically designed to detect SO2 are needed for accurate and reliable measurements.



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Your Nose is not a gas meter!!!
by: SafeSide

Your nose is not a gas meter and I do not advise using it as one. You do not know the concentration of gas you may be walking into and you may become a victem. The best way we have to detect SO2 gas without a meter is to use a household concentration of ammonia in a spray bottle. The SO2 gas will form a very visable white cloud that will let you focus in on where the leak has occurred. This is performed while wearing the proper ppe, eg. SCBA's.

From Barry - You shouldn't use your nose to detect gases, like sulfur dioxide (SO2), in the air:

You bring up some good points. Also, SCBA stands for self-contained breathing apparatus.

- The human sense of smell can't detect low levels of gases accurately. The device is designed to detect odors, not to measure concentrations. At low concentrations, SO2 is odorless, so smell alone can't tell you if it's there.

- Despite low concentrations, some gases, like SO2, can be harmful to humans. If you rely on your sense of smell to detect gases, you might be exposed to potentially hazardous levels. To ensure accurate measurements and protect your health, use appropriate monitoring equipment and follow safety guidelines.

- There's a lot of variation in smell sensitivity, and allergies, respiratory conditions, or exposure to other odors can affect your ability to detect gases accurately. For assessing air quality, relying on smell is subjective and unreliable.

- Gas meters and air quality monitoring devices are specifically designed to measure and quantify gas concentrations. Data from these devices can be used to assess air quality, identify potential risks, and take appropriate action.

It's recommended to use gas meters or air quality monitors that are specifically designed to measure gases like SO2. As well as ensuring the safety and well-being of individuals and the environment, these devices provide objective and precise data.

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I hate SO2
by: Anonymous

The smell sucks!!!

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Detection of Sulphur Dioxide
by: Anonymous

With its odor you can identify.

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SO2
by: mini

Good information about SO2.
Very interesting to know about identifying the gas.
I would like to read this kind of valuable info from this site.
I will go on for weather equipments and global warming from this site.

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Thank you to my research and writing assistants, ChatGPT and WordTune, as well as Wombo and others for the images.

GPT-4, OpenAI's large-scale language generation model (and others provided by Google and Meta), helped generate this text.  As soon as draft language is generated, the author reviews, edits, and revises it to their own liking and is responsible for the content.