Asked by: Palmira Vigaray
medical health dental health

Is it safe to drink sulfur water?

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Sulfur is found in many foods and is considered a vital part of a healthy diet, but too much sulfur in your drinking water can lead to diarrhea and dehydration. Sulfur not only stinks and makes your water taste bad, it can also stain your sinks, toilets, and clothing and even damage plumbing.


Considering this, is it safe to drink sulfur smelling water?

In most cases drinking water that has a strong rotten egg odor, although particularly unpleasant, is perfectly safe to drink. However in some rare occasions the odor may be caused by sewage or other contaminates in a building's water supply, which could cause health problems.

Likewise, is sulfur water good for your skin? Though there are no conclusive medical studies in the U.S. regarding the benefits of soaking in sulfur water, studies in Japan, the Middle East and throughout Europe have shown that soaking in sulfur water can help kill germs and viruses in and on the skin including psoriasis, dermatitis, and fungal infections.

In this regard, can sulfur make you sick?

At low levels, hydrogen sulfide gas has a strong odor similar to rotten eggs. You can smell hydrogen sulfide gas at lower levels than may cause health effects, so smelling the gas does not always mean that it will make you sick. At higher levels, hydrogen sulfide gas can make you sick and could be fatal.

What do you do with sulfur water?

Chlorine bleach can effectively remove medium to high levels (over 6 mg/l) of hydrogen sulfide. The chlorine in the bleach chemically reacts with (oxi- dizes) the hydrogen sulfide eliminating the "rotten egg" odor. Chlorine bleach also reacts with iron or manganese, and disinfects water supplies.

Related Question Answers

Tiburcia Winarsk

Professional

Why is sulfur bad for you?

Sulfur is found in many foods and is considered a vital part of a healthy diet, but too much sulfur in your drinking water can lead to diarrhea and dehydration. Sulfur not only stinks and makes your water taste bad, it can also stain your sinks, toilets, and clothing and even damage plumbing.

Denka Haehndel

Professional

How do you remove hydrogen sulfide from water?

Hydrogen sulfide may be reduced or removed by shock chlorination, water heater modification, activated carbon filtration, oxidizing filtration or oxidizing chemical injection. Often treatment for hydrogen sulfide is the same as for iron and manganese, allowing the removal of all three contaminants in one process.

Solutor Salinas

Professional

What kills sulfur in the mouth?

The one sure way to get rid of halitosis is to neutralize and block VSCs in the mouth. Typical mouthwashes can produce fresh breath for a short time, but the sulfur gas will return soon, and along with it, bad breath. The best way to neutralize sulfur gas is to use a zinc-ion based mouth rinse.

Remy Rigot

Explainer

Why does the water smell like rotten eggs?

Hydrogen sulfide gas produces a strong and unpleasant “rotten egg” or “sulfurodor and taste. In some cases, the odor may be present only when the water is first turned on or when hot water is run. Heat forces the gas into the air which may cause the odor to be especially offensive in a shower.

Poncho Eraud

Explainer

Is sulfur water good for your hair?

Is Sulfur Water Good for Your Hair and Skin? Many believe consuming sulfur or bathing in sulfur water has benefits for skin, hair and nails, but there is limited scientific evidence supporting the beauty benefits of this mineral. Many common foods, such as eggs, fish and poultry, naturally contain sulfur.

Claudemir Hindrickx

Pundit

Why do I smell like sulfur?

Hypermethioninemia is an inherited condition. It occurs when there's excess amino acid methionine in your blood. A sulfur-like odor often occurs when the methionine isn't broken down properly within the body. You may also experience breath or sweat that smells like sulfur.

Maynard Jarque

Pundit

Why do I smell sulfur?

The two most common sources of a rotten egg smell are a natural gas leak, and escaping sewer gas. That's why utility companies inject a substance called mercaptan, which emits an odor that smells like sulfur or rotten eggs. If there's a very strong smell, you could have a substantial natural gas leak.

Loubna Autonell

Pundit

How long does it take to get sulfur out of your system?

Researchers found that 1% of sulfur was taken into the body after 20 hours. About half of this was removed from the body in urine.

Yaroslav Klopping

Pundit

How does the body get rid of hydrogen sulfide?

TREATMENT OPTION: AERATION
Because hydrogen sulfide gas escapes rapidly from water to cause an odor, it may also be removed from the water by aeration. The process includes bubbling air through the water tank, then separating or "stripping" the hydrogen sulfide in the air by venting it to the outdoors.

Xianjun Ridder

Pundit

What does hydrogen sulfide do to the body?

H2S irritates the mucous membranes of the body and the respiratory tract, among other things. Following exposure, short-term, or acute, symptoms may include a headache, nausea, convulsions, and eye and skin irritation. Injury to the central nervous system can be immediate and serious after exposure.

Grady Isfort

Teacher

Can sewer gas explode?

Explosion risk
Sewer gas can contain methane and hydrogen sulfide, both highly flammable and potentially explosive substances. As such, ignition of the gas is possible with flame or sparks.

Mateu Schaufler

Teacher

Is it dangerous to smell sulfur?

Hydrogen sulfide can occur in groundwater, as a natural result of decayed vegetation, and it can create a mild or strong sulfur odor, depending on the percentage of hydrogen sulfide present. While the smell is off-putting, it's not considered hazardous to your health to use or drink.

Rayner Bachmanov

Teacher

Is sewer smell in house dangerous?

Hydrogen sulfide is dangerous even at low levels. Prolonged exposure to sewer gas can cause irritability, headaches, fatigue, sinus infections, bronchitis, pneumonia, loss of appetite, poor memory and dizziness. It affects people and pets that are exposed to it over a long period of time.

Proceso Radel

Teacher

Will a carbon monoxide detector detect sewer gas?

Carbon monoxide alarms ALONE do NOT detect propane/methane/natural gas leaks. Carbon monoxide sensors detect ONLY carbon monoxide, not raw fuel or fumes. It does not take striking a match to cause a gas explosion or fire. Each gas appliance is a potential source of a gas leak.

Josefina Wasserzier

Reviewer

What do I do if I smell sewer gas?

If the trap is dried out, the sewer gas has a clear path into the house. If the smell is coming from a sink, simply run the water for a few seconds to restore the trap. If the smell is coming from a floor drain, pour a pitcher of water down the drain to restore the proper function.

Jianmin Ziegler

Reviewer

How do you test for hydrogen sulfide?

Test (monitor) the air for hydrogen sulfide. This must be done by a qualified person. Use the right test equipment, such as an electronic meter that detects hydrogen sulfide gas. Conduct air monitoring prior to and at regular times during any work activity where hydrogen sulfide exposure is possible.

Jerrod Schondorf

Reviewer

What are the benefits of sulfur water?

Sulfur is shown to lower cholesterol and blood pressure. Soaking in sulfur water baths is an effective way to relieve the burning, pain and itching caused by hemorrhoids.

Safta Beck

Reviewer

Can you filter sulfur out of water?

Sulfur Filters
Sulfur occurs naturally in groundwater, and it can also be produced by certain bacteria in wells or water distribution systems. There are a number of ways to remove hydrogen sulfide from your water, but a quality backwashing sulfur water filter from US Water Systems is one of the most reliable.

Zhaneta Nord

Supporter

Can sulfur make your skin itch?

Because sulfur contains strong chemical properties, it can result in excessive skin irritation, like redness, swelling, itching, and flaking. This is due to sulfur's ability to expedite skin cell growth and turnover. If you have a rash, dry skin, or sunburn, sulfur can worsen the effects.