Arsine - AsH3
Arsine - AsH3
This page brings together the main information on arsine or "arsenic trihydride" (AsH3) , its physical characteristics, its effects on health, the means of detecting it (AsH3 gas detector) as well as the appropriate respiratory protection equipment (gas mask or assisted ventilation device with type B anti-gas filter).
Main characteristics of arsine (AsH3)
Historically known for having served as a chemical weapon during the First World War, arsine (AsH3), also called "arsenic trihydride", is a gas present in many industrial processes. It is widely found in metallurgy, particularly ferrous metal foundries (cleaning of desulfurization ladles), tin foundries, metal processing, the electronics sector and boiler descaling.
| CASE | VME (8 hours) | VLE (15 minutes) | RELATED | IP | Density / Air | Filter / ARI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7784-42-1 | 0.05 ppm | 0.2 ppm | 5.1% | 9.89 eV | 2.7 | B |
Health Effects of Arsine
Colorless at room temperature, arsine (AsH3) is odorless in its nascent state; when oxidized in air, it takes on a fairly pronounced garlic odor. Heavier than air, it enters the body through the respiratory tract; it is a gas that is highly toxic to humans by inhalation (R26) and harmful to the aquatic environment due to its solubility in water. Extremely flammable (R12), it is capable of forming explosive mixtures within the limits of 5.1 to 78% volume.
AsH3 (Arsine) gas detectors
Arsine is very irritating to the eyes, so we will opt for a full mask for short interventions or for a more comfortable assisted ventilation device with type B anti-gas filters. If the concentrations exceed 60 times the VLEP, an isolating breathing apparatus will be essential.
Respiratory protection Arsine (AsH3)
Despite its garlic odor, only an AsH3 gas detector can accurately measure the concentrations of this gas. Although explosive at 5.1% volume, an explosiveness measurement is useless with this highly toxic gas, so we will move towards arsine detection in ppm, or even ppb .