Whitedamp
White damp
Whitedamp is a noxious mixture of gases formed by the combustion of coal, usually in an enclosed environment such as a coal mine.wikipedia
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Combustion
burningignitionincomplete combustion
Whitedamp is a noxious mixture of gases formed by the combustion of coal, usually in an enclosed environment such as a coal mine.





Coal mining
coal minecollierycoal miner
Whitedamp is a noxious mixture of gases formed by the combustion of coal, usually in an enclosed environment such as a coal mine.









Carbon monoxide
COcarbon monoxide (CO)carbon monoxide poisoning
The most toxic constituents are carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide.






Hydrogen sulfide
hydrogen sulphideH 2 SStink damp
The most toxic constituents are carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide.




Atmosphere
atmosphericatmospheresplanetary atmospheres
Coal frequently starts to burn slowly in mines when it is exposed to the atmosphere.


Domestic canary
canarycanariesminer's canary
Traditionally, whitedamp was detected by its effect on canaries, who succumb much more quickly than humans.



Gas detector
gas sensorgas detectiongas sensors
However, there are gas detectors available now which detect toxic gases at very low levels.

Safety lamp
safety lampsClannyClanny lamps








Self-contained self-rescue device
self rescue respiratorclosed circuit escape respiratormine safety
The main hazard here is from large quantities of carbon monoxide or whitedamp, often produced by an explosion of firedamp.



Firedamp
fire dampfire-dampmine gas
Alongside firedamp, other damps include blackdamp (nonbreathable mixture of carbon dioxide, water vapour, and other gases), whitedamp (carbon monoxide and other gases produced by combustion), poisonous, explosive stinkdamp (hydrogen sulfide), with its characteristic "rotten egg" odour, and the insidiously lethal afterdamp (carbon monoxide and other gases) produced following explosions of firedamp or coal dust.


Blackdamp
black dampchokedampchoke damp
The word damp is used in similar mining terms such as white damp, fire damp and stink damp.

Monongah mining disaster
1907 Monongah mining disasterCoal mine explodes in Monongah, West Virginiacoal mine explosion
The biggest threats to rescuers are the various fumes, particularly “blackdamp”, a mix of carbon dioxide and nitrogen that contains no oxygen, and “whitedamp”, which is carbon monoxide.



Scofield Mine disaster
1900 mine disaster1900 Scofield Mine disasteran explosion
Some were killed outright by the explosion, but most died of asphyxiation by whitedamp and afterdamp.


Outline of mining
MiningMining engineeringoutline
John Scott Haldane
J.S. HaldaneHaldanehaldanean
The toxic mixtures of gases found in mines included afterdamp, blackdamp and whitedamp.



Damp (mining)
coal dampdampDamps