

Helium is such a stable non-reactive gas that is used as a cooling agent in rocket engines, used in-car airbags and welding, and, as you know, popularly used in filling balloons. You might wonder, why is this? Helium has all the electrons it needs in its outer shell, and it won’t give one up, nor will it take one from anything else. Still, you won’t get a single reaction out of the gas.

You can go ahead and heat helium in extremely reactive gases like fluorine, halogen, or cesium, or the most reactive alkali metal. Certain terms are used to describe helium gas, such as inert, non-reactive, and non-combustible, reinforcing its non-flammable nature.įrom the periodic table, helium is categorized as a noble gas – this means that it certainly doesn’t burn in oxygen and won’t react with anything. The boiling and melting point of helium are the lowest among all the other 118 elements in the universe.Īt low temperatures, helium turns to a liquid and becomes insanely handy as a coolant. It is an odorless, colorless, tasteless, inert, non-toxic, monatomic gas – and is the number one in the noble gas group in the periodic table. After hydrogen, helium is the 2nd most copious element. Helium is simply a chemical element with atomic number 2 and symbol (He). Why Is Helium Gas So Often Mistaken as Flammable?.What About the Incident of The Helium Balloons Catching Fire?.If one inhales larger amounts of helium gas this may force away oxygen, and therefore lead to asphyxia. Helium gas is relatively harmless, when inhaled in small amounts. Helium in drinking water is insignificant, for all the above-mentioned reasons. Helium does not play any vital role in physical processes, but it is not toxic, either. Helium is not a dietary mineral for humans, and only an extremely small amount is present in the human body. What are the health effects of helium in water? Today, six other unstable isotopes exist. There are two separate helium isotopes that are both non-radioactive. Helium is not a dietary mineral for any organism. As was described earlier, helium is only present in water in very small amounts. Helium does not dissolve in water, and therefore normally does not damage the environment. What are the environmental effects of helium in water? The 3He isotope is a tritium splitting product that does not escape to the atmosphere, but rather accumulates in water. After nuclear accidents or nuclear weapon testing, helium can be applied to determine radioactivity and water contamination. Helium can end up in water directly, when it is applied as a tracer to find leaks. Helium compound E939 is applied as a food additive. Helium is very suitable for low-temperature instruments, because it is liquid only when temperatures are below -269 oC. It is also applied in gas lasers, and as a protective coating for various substances. Helium is applied as a cooling agent for nuclear reactors, in scuba diving, in hot air balloons (it has the same capacity as hydrogen), and for light bow welding. Helium may escape through splits in the earth's crust. Uranium minerals contain small amounts of helium. At T = 20 oC and pressure = 1 bar, only 1.5 mg helium dissolves in water. No single gas has a lower solubility than does helium. Solubility of helium and helium compounds (We can now produce some non-stable helium compounds, such as VHe 3+ and HePtHe 2+). In what way and in what form does helium react with water?Ītomic helium does not react with water, nor with any other substance. Concentrations are relatively low, because helium as a noble gas only occurs as separate atoms, and usually does not react with any other particles. Helium concentrations in seawater are no higher than 4-7 ppt. However, the atmosphere contains only 5 ppm volume of helium. Helium is the second most prevalent element in the universe, after hydrogen. Helium (He) and water Helium and water: reaction mechanisms, environmental impact and health effects Separation and Concentration Purification Request.Plant Inspection & Process Optimalisation.
