Hydrogen narcosis(also known as thehydrogen effect) is thepsychotropicstate induced by breathinghydrogenat high pressures. Hydrogen narcosis produces symptoms such as hallucinations, disorientation, and confusion, which are similar tohallucinogenic drugs.It can be experienced bydeep-sea diverswho dive to 300 m (1,000 ft) below sea level breathing hydrogen mixtures.[1]However, hydrogen has far less narcotic effect than nitrogen (which causes the better knownnitrogen narcosis) and is very rarely used in diving. In tests of the effect of hydrogen narcosis, where divers dived to 500 m (1,600 ft) with a hydrogen–helium–oxygen (hydreliox) mixture containing 49% hydrogen, it was found that while the narcotic effect of hydrogen was detectable, theneurologicalsymptoms ofhigh-pressure nervous syndromewere only moderate.[2][3]

See also

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  • Nitrogen narcosis– Reversible narcotic effects of respiratory nitrogen at elevated partial pressures
  • Hydrox (breathing gas)– Breathing gas mixture experimentally used for very deep diving
  • Hydreliox– Breathing gas mixture of hydrogen, helium, and oxygen

References

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  1. ^Taylor, Larry "Harris"."Diving With Gas Mixes Other Than Air".Retrieved2009-03-02.
  2. ^Abraini, JH; Gardette-Chauffour, MC; Martinez, E; Rostain, JC; Lemaire, C (1994)."Psychophysiological reactions in humans during an open sea dive to 500 m with a hydrogen-helium-oxygen mixture".Journal of Applied Physiology.76(3). American Physiological Society: 1113–8.doi:10.1152/jappl.1994.76.3.1113.ISSN8750-7587.PMID8005852.Retrieved2009-03-01.
  3. ^Rostain, JC; Gardette-Chauffour, MC; Lemaire, C; Naquet, R (1988). "Effects of a H2-He-O2 mixture on the HPNS up to 450 msw".Undersea Biomedical Research.15(4): 257–70.ISSN0093-5387.OCLC2068005.PMID3212843.