French foul-smelling cloud from a factory drifts to England
1,093 views · Published 23 February 2013 · 0:44 · Indexed 10 November 2026
Channel: News Direct · 2013 · News & Politics
A cloud of gas smelling of rotten eggs and sweat leaked from a chemicals factory in France has sparkled safety scares. The leak occurred at a Lubrizol France factory in Rouen, 120 km northwest of Paris, it wafted over northern France late in the night and reached southern England by morning on Tuesday. The gas, mercaptan, also known as methanethiol, is a colorless gas with a smell like a mixture of "sweat, garlic and rotten eggs". Methanethiol is often added to natural gas as a safety precaution to detect gas leaks. It is also used as a dietary component in animal feed and in the plastics industry. The Paris police department said in a statement that the cloud posed no threat to public health although it could cause nausea in some people. Overexposure can lead to irritation of eyes, nausea, dizziness, and in some cases vomiting.
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