Asphyxiant gas can smell the odorants, and assigning a different smell to each gas may be impractical. Another difficulty is that most odorants (e.g., the thiols) are chemically reactive. This is not a problem with natural gas intended to be burned as fuel, which is routinely odorized, but a major use of asphyxiants such as nitrogen, helium, argon and krypton is to protect reactive materials from the atmosphere. The dangers of excess concentrations of nontoxic gases has been recognized for centuries within the mining industry. The concept of black damp (or "stythe") reflects an understanding that certain gaseous mixtures could lead to
Headspace gas chromatography for dissolved gas measurement Headspace gas chromatography for dissolved gas measurement Headspace gas chromatography uses headspace gas injected directly onto a gas chromatographic column. Chemists often use the phrase "standard temperature and pressure or STP" to convey that they are working at a temperature of 25 °C and one atmosphere of pressure. There are three states of matter under these conditions: solids, liquids, and gases. Although all three are distinct states both solids and gases can dissolve (or disperse) in liquids. The most commonly occurring liquid in the biosphere is water. All components of the atmosphere are capable of dissolving in water to some