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Of strange atmospheres - the survivable but unbreathable


What can we do to Mars to give it a survivable atmosphere?If we put humans on planets with atmospheres different from Earth's atmosphere, but still containing oxygen, would humans be able to breathe?Hazardous but natural particulates in an atmosphereWhat would the air on a planet look like if it had a mostly methane atmosphere?Giving a Planet SunburnHow humanly survivable is my world?The color of breathable planetary atmospheresWhat types of challenging atmospheres might exist on an ice planet?Thermobaric weapons in dense atmospheresIf a Mount Everest-sized mountain had Earth's sea level atmospheric pressure at the top, what would the atmospheric pressure be at sea level?













6












$begingroup$


Most gases that are toxic to breath also do nasty things to the skin when they're in the atmosphere at dangerous concentrations - and one is walking around without sealed protective clothing; sulfur and nitrogen oxides cause chemical burns when they mix with the water in perspiration, or on one's eyes, large amounts of ozone cause similar problems by different mechanisms. So my question is what are the key gases to use and, probably more importantly, at what levels to create an atmosphere that is lethal if you get a breath or two but won't burn your skin off or poison you anyway when you walk out the door without your moon suit?



Priority is given to gas mixes that are made up of gases that occur in/are produced by a biosphere almost identical to Earth's, so Water Vapour, Oxygen, Ozone, Methane, Nitro-oxides, Organic Carbon compounds, Carbon-oxides, Sulfur compounds etc... The best answer is the atmosphere that is most similar to our existing composition while being deadly to breath but otherwise safe for one to wear their birthday suit, apart from a breathing mask supplying safe air.










share|improve this question











$endgroup$


This question asks for hard science. All answers to this question should be backed up by equations, empirical evidence, scientific papers, other citations, etc. Answers that do not satisfy this requirement might be removed. See the tag description for more information.













  • $begingroup$
    You mean with just a helmet?
    $endgroup$
    – nzaman
    8 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    @nzaman I'm hoping for just a mouth-and-nose breather but full helmet is acceptable.
    $endgroup$
    – Ash
    8 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    I am not sure you really need the hard science tag, anyway. science based answer would be fine
    $endgroup$
    – L.Dutch
    8 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    @L.Dutch Maybe but this is one of few times when I actually want some hard numbers to hang an explanation on.
    $endgroup$
    – Ash
    7 hours ago
















6












$begingroup$


Most gases that are toxic to breath also do nasty things to the skin when they're in the atmosphere at dangerous concentrations - and one is walking around without sealed protective clothing; sulfur and nitrogen oxides cause chemical burns when they mix with the water in perspiration, or on one's eyes, large amounts of ozone cause similar problems by different mechanisms. So my question is what are the key gases to use and, probably more importantly, at what levels to create an atmosphere that is lethal if you get a breath or two but won't burn your skin off or poison you anyway when you walk out the door without your moon suit?



Priority is given to gas mixes that are made up of gases that occur in/are produced by a biosphere almost identical to Earth's, so Water Vapour, Oxygen, Ozone, Methane, Nitro-oxides, Organic Carbon compounds, Carbon-oxides, Sulfur compounds etc... The best answer is the atmosphere that is most similar to our existing composition while being deadly to breath but otherwise safe for one to wear their birthday suit, apart from a breathing mask supplying safe air.










share|improve this question











$endgroup$


This question asks for hard science. All answers to this question should be backed up by equations, empirical evidence, scientific papers, other citations, etc. Answers that do not satisfy this requirement might be removed. See the tag description for more information.













  • $begingroup$
    You mean with just a helmet?
    $endgroup$
    – nzaman
    8 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    @nzaman I'm hoping for just a mouth-and-nose breather but full helmet is acceptable.
    $endgroup$
    – Ash
    8 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    I am not sure you really need the hard science tag, anyway. science based answer would be fine
    $endgroup$
    – L.Dutch
    8 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    @L.Dutch Maybe but this is one of few times when I actually want some hard numbers to hang an explanation on.
    $endgroup$
    – Ash
    7 hours ago














6












6








6





$begingroup$


Most gases that are toxic to breath also do nasty things to the skin when they're in the atmosphere at dangerous concentrations - and one is walking around without sealed protective clothing; sulfur and nitrogen oxides cause chemical burns when they mix with the water in perspiration, or on one's eyes, large amounts of ozone cause similar problems by different mechanisms. So my question is what are the key gases to use and, probably more importantly, at what levels to create an atmosphere that is lethal if you get a breath or two but won't burn your skin off or poison you anyway when you walk out the door without your moon suit?



Priority is given to gas mixes that are made up of gases that occur in/are produced by a biosphere almost identical to Earth's, so Water Vapour, Oxygen, Ozone, Methane, Nitro-oxides, Organic Carbon compounds, Carbon-oxides, Sulfur compounds etc... The best answer is the atmosphere that is most similar to our existing composition while being deadly to breath but otherwise safe for one to wear their birthday suit, apart from a breathing mask supplying safe air.










share|improve this question











$endgroup$




Most gases that are toxic to breath also do nasty things to the skin when they're in the atmosphere at dangerous concentrations - and one is walking around without sealed protective clothing; sulfur and nitrogen oxides cause chemical burns when they mix with the water in perspiration, or on one's eyes, large amounts of ozone cause similar problems by different mechanisms. So my question is what are the key gases to use and, probably more importantly, at what levels to create an atmosphere that is lethal if you get a breath or two but won't burn your skin off or poison you anyway when you walk out the door without your moon suit?



Priority is given to gas mixes that are made up of gases that occur in/are produced by a biosphere almost identical to Earth's, so Water Vapour, Oxygen, Ozone, Methane, Nitro-oxides, Organic Carbon compounds, Carbon-oxides, Sulfur compounds etc... The best answer is the atmosphere that is most similar to our existing composition while being deadly to breath but otherwise safe for one to wear their birthday suit, apart from a breathing mask supplying safe air.







earth-like hard-science atmosphere






share|improve this question















share|improve this question













share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited 8 hours ago







Ash

















asked 8 hours ago









AshAsh

28.7k469157




28.7k469157



This question asks for hard science. All answers to this question should be backed up by equations, empirical evidence, scientific papers, other citations, etc. Answers that do not satisfy this requirement might be removed. See the tag description for more information.




This question asks for hard science. All answers to this question should be backed up by equations, empirical evidence, scientific papers, other citations, etc. Answers that do not satisfy this requirement might be removed. See the tag description for more information.












  • $begingroup$
    You mean with just a helmet?
    $endgroup$
    – nzaman
    8 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    @nzaman I'm hoping for just a mouth-and-nose breather but full helmet is acceptable.
    $endgroup$
    – Ash
    8 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    I am not sure you really need the hard science tag, anyway. science based answer would be fine
    $endgroup$
    – L.Dutch
    8 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    @L.Dutch Maybe but this is one of few times when I actually want some hard numbers to hang an explanation on.
    $endgroup$
    – Ash
    7 hours ago

















  • $begingroup$
    You mean with just a helmet?
    $endgroup$
    – nzaman
    8 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    @nzaman I'm hoping for just a mouth-and-nose breather but full helmet is acceptable.
    $endgroup$
    – Ash
    8 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    I am not sure you really need the hard science tag, anyway. science based answer would be fine
    $endgroup$
    – L.Dutch
    8 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    @L.Dutch Maybe but this is one of few times when I actually want some hard numbers to hang an explanation on.
    $endgroup$
    – Ash
    7 hours ago
















$begingroup$
You mean with just a helmet?
$endgroup$
– nzaman
8 hours ago




$begingroup$
You mean with just a helmet?
$endgroup$
– nzaman
8 hours ago












$begingroup$
@nzaman I'm hoping for just a mouth-and-nose breather but full helmet is acceptable.
$endgroup$
– Ash
8 hours ago




$begingroup$
@nzaman I'm hoping for just a mouth-and-nose breather but full helmet is acceptable.
$endgroup$
– Ash
8 hours ago












$begingroup$
I am not sure you really need the hard science tag, anyway. science based answer would be fine
$endgroup$
– L.Dutch
8 hours ago




$begingroup$
I am not sure you really need the hard science tag, anyway. science based answer would be fine
$endgroup$
– L.Dutch
8 hours ago












$begingroup$
@L.Dutch Maybe but this is one of few times when I actually want some hard numbers to hang an explanation on.
$endgroup$
– Ash
7 hours ago





$begingroup$
@L.Dutch Maybe but this is one of few times when I actually want some hard numbers to hang an explanation on.
$endgroup$
– Ash
7 hours ago











5 Answers
5






active

oldest

votes


















9












$begingroup$

Pure nitrogen is harmless -- except that it won't support life. A breath or two will do no harm, but you won't even notice you're suffocating, because the carbon dioxide will clear from your blood as if you were breathing air -- but you won't be gaining any oxygen. You'll fall over unconscious after three or four breaths, and you'll die in four minutes (give or take whatever level of exertion was going on before, and whether you knew what you were getting into and could hold your breath for a while). The same would be true of nitrogen/oxygen, if the oxygen mix is less than about half what it is at sea level on Earth -- except it'll take longer to fall over, and longer to die.



Now, you wanted "lethal, but not corrosive" more or less. Hydrogen sulfide is biological in origin, more toxic than prussic acid, and although it has a very noticeable odor, humans lose the ability to smell it well below lethal levels, alarms are needed for concentrations as low as 5ppm. It claims a victim (or string of victims) on a fishing boat every so often, when refrigeration in the hold fails; a crew member is sent below to fix the system, doesn't come back, another goes to check on him, doesn't come back -- I've read about as many as eight people dying in this kind of scenario before anyone caught on.



A concentration of 800 ppm is considered 50% lethal, and 1000 ppm (that's 1/10 of 1%) is instantly lethal -- one breath will kill. As little as 100 ppm (1/100 of 1%) is considered immediately dangerous -- in part because this is the level at which loss of sense of smell begins. These levels can be formed by decomposition in natural settings, as long as there is a depression to collect the heavier than air gas.



Now, hydrogen sulfide will, eventually, form sulfuric acid, by oxidation and combination with water (vapor or liquid), but this is a slow process compared to its lethality.






share|improve this answer











$endgroup$












  • $begingroup$
    Some science about lethal concentrations, rates of reaction, etc... is really needed to meet the Hard-Science tag but this is probably a good idea.
    $endgroup$
    – Ash
    8 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    Sadly, I'm at work at present and can't readily look up the concentrations for loss of ability to smell, lethal concentration, etc. If you have that handy, I'd welcome an edit.
    $endgroup$
    – Zeiss Ikon
    8 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    @ash Okay, never mind, I got it.
    $endgroup$
    – Zeiss Ikon
    8 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    At 50 ppm Hydrogen Sulfide starts to cause tissue irritation/damage, especially when mixed with salty liquids like sweat, so it'll start to burn you long before short term exposure will kill you, the symptoms may be mild enough to go unnoticed the information I can find is pretty vague on the subject.
    $endgroup$
    – Ash
    7 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    At 50 ppm, the smell will drive you out of the concentration before skin irritation/burns set in. Above 100-150 ppm, you can't smell it any more, and it's poisoning you with every breath; you'll likely be dead before skin damage means anything.
    $endgroup$
    – Zeiss Ikon
    7 hours ago


















9












$begingroup$


an atmosphere that is lethal if you get a breath or two but won't burn your skin off or poison you anyway when you walk out the door without your moon suit?




take our atmosphere and remove all the oxygen, replacing it with an inert gas like nitrogen.



Asphyxia will ensue after a couple of breathes.




Asphyxia or asphyxiation is a condition of deficient supply of oxygen to the body that arises from abnormal breathing. An example of asphyxia is choking. Asphyxia causes generalized hypoxia, which affects primarily the tissues and organs. There are many circumstances that can induce asphyxia, all of which are characterized by an inability of an individual to acquire sufficient oxygen through breathing for an extended period of time. Asphyxia can cause coma or death.




This is the precise reason why, when using nitrogen to purge certain machinery, working in enclosed spaces can be lethal if proper precautions are not taken.



Otherwise such an atmosphere is perfectly safe to walk in it naked.



If you wonder what is the minimum oxygen concentration needed to sustain human life, you can refer to this




Serious side effects can occur if the oxygen levels drop outside the safe zone. When oxygen concentrations drop from 19.5 to 16 percent, and you engage in physical activity, your cells fail to receive the oxygen needed to function correctly. Mental functions become impaired and respiration intermittent at oxygen concentrations that drop from 10 to 14 percent; at these levels with any amount of physical activity, the body becomes exhausted. Humans won't survive with levels at 6 percent or lower.







share|improve this answer











$endgroup$



This question asks for hard science. All answers to this question should be backed up by equations, empirical evidence, scientific papers, other citations, etc. Answers that do not satisfy this requirement might be removed. See the tag description for more information.













  • $begingroup$
    Nice, I totally hadn't thought of that, not sure how a biosphere of any sort fits in with it but it's certainly food for thought.
    $endgroup$
    – Ash
    8 hours ago






  • 1




    $begingroup$
    If this is going to be an outside naked kind of world, I want nitrous oxide in the mix.
    $endgroup$
    – Willk
    8 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    This was essentially the Earth's atmosphere for the first billion years that life existed
    $endgroup$
    – Joel Keene
    3 hours ago


















6












$begingroup$

My suggestion:



  • 60% Xenon


  • 20% Oxygen

  • 15% Nitrogen

  • 5% Carbon dioxide

Why Xenon?



Xenon is a noble gas. It has very few common chemical reactions, and is frequently used in situations where air is too reactive to be safe. It's safe to touch and even safe to breathe.



It's also a very effective anesthetic. Present-day doctors in Europe use it because it is remarkably side-effect free, if quite expensive. A few breaths of Xenon and you'll be out cold.



Why Oxygen?



20% oxygen is around the level we have in our atmosphere. This way, fire still burns and iron still rusts in your world the same as on Earth.



Why Nitrogen?



You have enough carbon dioxide to grow plants, but they need N2 in the air to keep the nitrogen cycle running. 15% is too little for the nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the soil, but your crew could have genetically modified soil bacteria for farming.



Why Carbon Dioxide?



This is how you die. CO2 is very stable and inert, but at concentrations of around 5000 ppm (0.5%), it becomes quite toxic. At these levels, it's so far above the lethality threshold that if you breathe this, you will die.



How does it work?



An astronaut is working on a new construction for the planetary base when her breathing mask undergoes a malfunction, disabling the low-air alarms. The astronaut continues working as her mask slowly runs out of air, and loses track of time. When the tank is almost empty, the broken alarm fails to remind her to refill, and without realizing, she begins to breathe the atmospheric air.



After three or four breaths, she begins to feel unusually drowsy. As soon as she realizes what happened, she holds her breath, but the xenon has already taken effect. Two shaky steps towards base later and she collapses on the floor, unconscious. Her brain, fooled by the apparently welcoming air, resumes breathing, taking in 13 times more carbon dioxide than she can handle. Instead of carbon dioxide from her lungs breathing out into the air, CO2 diffuses from the atmosphere into her alveoli, flooding her bloodstream with carbonic acid. Her blood pH rises out of control, and she dies of carbon dioxide poisoning in under a minute.



Pros:



  • No damage to skin or clothing

  • Lethal after a few breaths

  • Behaves effectively the same as our atmosphere in most everyday situations

  • You can grow crops with minimal modifications.

Cons:



  • You need to explain how the hell the atmosphere became 60% Xenon. A comet, maybe, or it orbits a star with lots of Xenon?

Sources:



https://climate.ncsu.edu/edu/Composition



http://www.aragonvalley.com/en/effects-of-co2-in-humans/



https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17552896



http://anesthesiology.pubs.asahq.org/article.aspx?articleid=1945725






share|improve this answer









$endgroup$












  • $begingroup$
    Does it need that much Xenon? Xenon is doable, a lot of Xenon even but that high a fraction is extremely hard to justify.
    $endgroup$
    – Ash
    6 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    @Ash medical concentration is 60-70 percent xenon, the rest oxygen. Any less and the anesthetic could take minutes to set in. Carbon dioxide won't put you to sleep, you can survive a few minutes of it and get to safety. The xenon makes it much more dangerous.
    $endgroup$
    – Adrian Hall
    5 hours ago


















4












$begingroup$

Carbon monoxide is a nice easy one. Colourless, odourless, non-corrosive, lethal at concentrations above 500 (or thereabouts) parts per million. It will oxidise over time to carbon dioxide in an oxygen atmosphere, so you’ll need some biological source to keep replenishing it.






share|improve this answer









$endgroup$



This question asks for hard science. All answers to this question should be backed up by equations, empirical evidence, scientific papers, other citations, etc. Answers that do not satisfy this requirement might be removed. See the tag description for more information.













  • $begingroup$
    More like 12,800 ppm for the "if you get a breath or two" in the question, at that kind of level it's effects as a reductant are going to be extremely noticeable.
    $endgroup$
    – Ash
    8 hours ago


















2












$begingroup$

Helium. It is very inert, and used by deep divers to replace nitrogen due to it being safer at high pressures. It can enter all your tissues without causing harm. The only side effect to breathing it is a funny voice.



In an atmosphere made of pure helium, a human would die of asphyxia. That would be the only damage caused by such an environment.






share|improve this answer











$endgroup$












  • $begingroup$
    Humorous but lacking in the biosphere part of the question.
    $endgroup$
    – Ash
    8 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    Main issue here is that helium is really light, and won't maintain a pressure similar to earth's without way more gravity than earth's.
    $endgroup$
    – Adrian Hall
    7 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    @AdrianHall pressure does not depend just on gravity. Simply add more gas.
    $endgroup$
    – Renan
    6 hours ago







  • 1




    $begingroup$
    @AdrianHall Venus has less gravity than Earth and it's 900atm at ground level.
    $endgroup$
    – Ash
    6 hours ago






  • 1




    $begingroup$
    @AdrianHall "Venus air is much denser than Earth air." my point exactly, atmospheric density is weird and complex, it doesn't quite follow any one rule.
    $endgroup$
    – Ash
    5 hours ago












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5 Answers
5






active

oldest

votes








5 Answers
5






active

oldest

votes









active

oldest

votes






active

oldest

votes









9












$begingroup$

Pure nitrogen is harmless -- except that it won't support life. A breath or two will do no harm, but you won't even notice you're suffocating, because the carbon dioxide will clear from your blood as if you were breathing air -- but you won't be gaining any oxygen. You'll fall over unconscious after three or four breaths, and you'll die in four minutes (give or take whatever level of exertion was going on before, and whether you knew what you were getting into and could hold your breath for a while). The same would be true of nitrogen/oxygen, if the oxygen mix is less than about half what it is at sea level on Earth -- except it'll take longer to fall over, and longer to die.



Now, you wanted "lethal, but not corrosive" more or less. Hydrogen sulfide is biological in origin, more toxic than prussic acid, and although it has a very noticeable odor, humans lose the ability to smell it well below lethal levels, alarms are needed for concentrations as low as 5ppm. It claims a victim (or string of victims) on a fishing boat every so often, when refrigeration in the hold fails; a crew member is sent below to fix the system, doesn't come back, another goes to check on him, doesn't come back -- I've read about as many as eight people dying in this kind of scenario before anyone caught on.



A concentration of 800 ppm is considered 50% lethal, and 1000 ppm (that's 1/10 of 1%) is instantly lethal -- one breath will kill. As little as 100 ppm (1/100 of 1%) is considered immediately dangerous -- in part because this is the level at which loss of sense of smell begins. These levels can be formed by decomposition in natural settings, as long as there is a depression to collect the heavier than air gas.



Now, hydrogen sulfide will, eventually, form sulfuric acid, by oxidation and combination with water (vapor or liquid), but this is a slow process compared to its lethality.






share|improve this answer











$endgroup$












  • $begingroup$
    Some science about lethal concentrations, rates of reaction, etc... is really needed to meet the Hard-Science tag but this is probably a good idea.
    $endgroup$
    – Ash
    8 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    Sadly, I'm at work at present and can't readily look up the concentrations for loss of ability to smell, lethal concentration, etc. If you have that handy, I'd welcome an edit.
    $endgroup$
    – Zeiss Ikon
    8 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    @ash Okay, never mind, I got it.
    $endgroup$
    – Zeiss Ikon
    8 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    At 50 ppm Hydrogen Sulfide starts to cause tissue irritation/damage, especially when mixed with salty liquids like sweat, so it'll start to burn you long before short term exposure will kill you, the symptoms may be mild enough to go unnoticed the information I can find is pretty vague on the subject.
    $endgroup$
    – Ash
    7 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    At 50 ppm, the smell will drive you out of the concentration before skin irritation/burns set in. Above 100-150 ppm, you can't smell it any more, and it's poisoning you with every breath; you'll likely be dead before skin damage means anything.
    $endgroup$
    – Zeiss Ikon
    7 hours ago















9












$begingroup$

Pure nitrogen is harmless -- except that it won't support life. A breath or two will do no harm, but you won't even notice you're suffocating, because the carbon dioxide will clear from your blood as if you were breathing air -- but you won't be gaining any oxygen. You'll fall over unconscious after three or four breaths, and you'll die in four minutes (give or take whatever level of exertion was going on before, and whether you knew what you were getting into and could hold your breath for a while). The same would be true of nitrogen/oxygen, if the oxygen mix is less than about half what it is at sea level on Earth -- except it'll take longer to fall over, and longer to die.



Now, you wanted "lethal, but not corrosive" more or less. Hydrogen sulfide is biological in origin, more toxic than prussic acid, and although it has a very noticeable odor, humans lose the ability to smell it well below lethal levels, alarms are needed for concentrations as low as 5ppm. It claims a victim (or string of victims) on a fishing boat every so often, when refrigeration in the hold fails; a crew member is sent below to fix the system, doesn't come back, another goes to check on him, doesn't come back -- I've read about as many as eight people dying in this kind of scenario before anyone caught on.



A concentration of 800 ppm is considered 50% lethal, and 1000 ppm (that's 1/10 of 1%) is instantly lethal -- one breath will kill. As little as 100 ppm (1/100 of 1%) is considered immediately dangerous -- in part because this is the level at which loss of sense of smell begins. These levels can be formed by decomposition in natural settings, as long as there is a depression to collect the heavier than air gas.



Now, hydrogen sulfide will, eventually, form sulfuric acid, by oxidation and combination with water (vapor or liquid), but this is a slow process compared to its lethality.






share|improve this answer











$endgroup$












  • $begingroup$
    Some science about lethal concentrations, rates of reaction, etc... is really needed to meet the Hard-Science tag but this is probably a good idea.
    $endgroup$
    – Ash
    8 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    Sadly, I'm at work at present and can't readily look up the concentrations for loss of ability to smell, lethal concentration, etc. If you have that handy, I'd welcome an edit.
    $endgroup$
    – Zeiss Ikon
    8 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    @ash Okay, never mind, I got it.
    $endgroup$
    – Zeiss Ikon
    8 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    At 50 ppm Hydrogen Sulfide starts to cause tissue irritation/damage, especially when mixed with salty liquids like sweat, so it'll start to burn you long before short term exposure will kill you, the symptoms may be mild enough to go unnoticed the information I can find is pretty vague on the subject.
    $endgroup$
    – Ash
    7 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    At 50 ppm, the smell will drive you out of the concentration before skin irritation/burns set in. Above 100-150 ppm, you can't smell it any more, and it's poisoning you with every breath; you'll likely be dead before skin damage means anything.
    $endgroup$
    – Zeiss Ikon
    7 hours ago













9












9








9





$begingroup$

Pure nitrogen is harmless -- except that it won't support life. A breath or two will do no harm, but you won't even notice you're suffocating, because the carbon dioxide will clear from your blood as if you were breathing air -- but you won't be gaining any oxygen. You'll fall over unconscious after three or four breaths, and you'll die in four minutes (give or take whatever level of exertion was going on before, and whether you knew what you were getting into and could hold your breath for a while). The same would be true of nitrogen/oxygen, if the oxygen mix is less than about half what it is at sea level on Earth -- except it'll take longer to fall over, and longer to die.



Now, you wanted "lethal, but not corrosive" more or less. Hydrogen sulfide is biological in origin, more toxic than prussic acid, and although it has a very noticeable odor, humans lose the ability to smell it well below lethal levels, alarms are needed for concentrations as low as 5ppm. It claims a victim (or string of victims) on a fishing boat every so often, when refrigeration in the hold fails; a crew member is sent below to fix the system, doesn't come back, another goes to check on him, doesn't come back -- I've read about as many as eight people dying in this kind of scenario before anyone caught on.



A concentration of 800 ppm is considered 50% lethal, and 1000 ppm (that's 1/10 of 1%) is instantly lethal -- one breath will kill. As little as 100 ppm (1/100 of 1%) is considered immediately dangerous -- in part because this is the level at which loss of sense of smell begins. These levels can be formed by decomposition in natural settings, as long as there is a depression to collect the heavier than air gas.



Now, hydrogen sulfide will, eventually, form sulfuric acid, by oxidation and combination with water (vapor or liquid), but this is a slow process compared to its lethality.






share|improve this answer











$endgroup$



Pure nitrogen is harmless -- except that it won't support life. A breath or two will do no harm, but you won't even notice you're suffocating, because the carbon dioxide will clear from your blood as if you were breathing air -- but you won't be gaining any oxygen. You'll fall over unconscious after three or four breaths, and you'll die in four minutes (give or take whatever level of exertion was going on before, and whether you knew what you were getting into and could hold your breath for a while). The same would be true of nitrogen/oxygen, if the oxygen mix is less than about half what it is at sea level on Earth -- except it'll take longer to fall over, and longer to die.



Now, you wanted "lethal, but not corrosive" more or less. Hydrogen sulfide is biological in origin, more toxic than prussic acid, and although it has a very noticeable odor, humans lose the ability to smell it well below lethal levels, alarms are needed for concentrations as low as 5ppm. It claims a victim (or string of victims) on a fishing boat every so often, when refrigeration in the hold fails; a crew member is sent below to fix the system, doesn't come back, another goes to check on him, doesn't come back -- I've read about as many as eight people dying in this kind of scenario before anyone caught on.



A concentration of 800 ppm is considered 50% lethal, and 1000 ppm (that's 1/10 of 1%) is instantly lethal -- one breath will kill. As little as 100 ppm (1/100 of 1%) is considered immediately dangerous -- in part because this is the level at which loss of sense of smell begins. These levels can be formed by decomposition in natural settings, as long as there is a depression to collect the heavier than air gas.



Now, hydrogen sulfide will, eventually, form sulfuric acid, by oxidation and combination with water (vapor or liquid), but this is a slow process compared to its lethality.







share|improve this answer














share|improve this answer



share|improve this answer








edited 8 hours ago









Ash

28.7k469157




28.7k469157










answered 8 hours ago









Zeiss IkonZeiss Ikon

3,903421




3,903421











  • $begingroup$
    Some science about lethal concentrations, rates of reaction, etc... is really needed to meet the Hard-Science tag but this is probably a good idea.
    $endgroup$
    – Ash
    8 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    Sadly, I'm at work at present and can't readily look up the concentrations for loss of ability to smell, lethal concentration, etc. If you have that handy, I'd welcome an edit.
    $endgroup$
    – Zeiss Ikon
    8 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    @ash Okay, never mind, I got it.
    $endgroup$
    – Zeiss Ikon
    8 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    At 50 ppm Hydrogen Sulfide starts to cause tissue irritation/damage, especially when mixed with salty liquids like sweat, so it'll start to burn you long before short term exposure will kill you, the symptoms may be mild enough to go unnoticed the information I can find is pretty vague on the subject.
    $endgroup$
    – Ash
    7 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    At 50 ppm, the smell will drive you out of the concentration before skin irritation/burns set in. Above 100-150 ppm, you can't smell it any more, and it's poisoning you with every breath; you'll likely be dead before skin damage means anything.
    $endgroup$
    – Zeiss Ikon
    7 hours ago
















  • $begingroup$
    Some science about lethal concentrations, rates of reaction, etc... is really needed to meet the Hard-Science tag but this is probably a good idea.
    $endgroup$
    – Ash
    8 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    Sadly, I'm at work at present and can't readily look up the concentrations for loss of ability to smell, lethal concentration, etc. If you have that handy, I'd welcome an edit.
    $endgroup$
    – Zeiss Ikon
    8 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    @ash Okay, never mind, I got it.
    $endgroup$
    – Zeiss Ikon
    8 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    At 50 ppm Hydrogen Sulfide starts to cause tissue irritation/damage, especially when mixed with salty liquids like sweat, so it'll start to burn you long before short term exposure will kill you, the symptoms may be mild enough to go unnoticed the information I can find is pretty vague on the subject.
    $endgroup$
    – Ash
    7 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    At 50 ppm, the smell will drive you out of the concentration before skin irritation/burns set in. Above 100-150 ppm, you can't smell it any more, and it's poisoning you with every breath; you'll likely be dead before skin damage means anything.
    $endgroup$
    – Zeiss Ikon
    7 hours ago















$begingroup$
Some science about lethal concentrations, rates of reaction, etc... is really needed to meet the Hard-Science tag but this is probably a good idea.
$endgroup$
– Ash
8 hours ago




$begingroup$
Some science about lethal concentrations, rates of reaction, etc... is really needed to meet the Hard-Science tag but this is probably a good idea.
$endgroup$
– Ash
8 hours ago












$begingroup$
Sadly, I'm at work at present and can't readily look up the concentrations for loss of ability to smell, lethal concentration, etc. If you have that handy, I'd welcome an edit.
$endgroup$
– Zeiss Ikon
8 hours ago




$begingroup$
Sadly, I'm at work at present and can't readily look up the concentrations for loss of ability to smell, lethal concentration, etc. If you have that handy, I'd welcome an edit.
$endgroup$
– Zeiss Ikon
8 hours ago












$begingroup$
@ash Okay, never mind, I got it.
$endgroup$
– Zeiss Ikon
8 hours ago




$begingroup$
@ash Okay, never mind, I got it.
$endgroup$
– Zeiss Ikon
8 hours ago












$begingroup$
At 50 ppm Hydrogen Sulfide starts to cause tissue irritation/damage, especially when mixed with salty liquids like sweat, so it'll start to burn you long before short term exposure will kill you, the symptoms may be mild enough to go unnoticed the information I can find is pretty vague on the subject.
$endgroup$
– Ash
7 hours ago




$begingroup$
At 50 ppm Hydrogen Sulfide starts to cause tissue irritation/damage, especially when mixed with salty liquids like sweat, so it'll start to burn you long before short term exposure will kill you, the symptoms may be mild enough to go unnoticed the information I can find is pretty vague on the subject.
$endgroup$
– Ash
7 hours ago












$begingroup$
At 50 ppm, the smell will drive you out of the concentration before skin irritation/burns set in. Above 100-150 ppm, you can't smell it any more, and it's poisoning you with every breath; you'll likely be dead before skin damage means anything.
$endgroup$
– Zeiss Ikon
7 hours ago




$begingroup$
At 50 ppm, the smell will drive you out of the concentration before skin irritation/burns set in. Above 100-150 ppm, you can't smell it any more, and it's poisoning you with every breath; you'll likely be dead before skin damage means anything.
$endgroup$
– Zeiss Ikon
7 hours ago











9












$begingroup$


an atmosphere that is lethal if you get a breath or two but won't burn your skin off or poison you anyway when you walk out the door without your moon suit?




take our atmosphere and remove all the oxygen, replacing it with an inert gas like nitrogen.



Asphyxia will ensue after a couple of breathes.




Asphyxia or asphyxiation is a condition of deficient supply of oxygen to the body that arises from abnormal breathing. An example of asphyxia is choking. Asphyxia causes generalized hypoxia, which affects primarily the tissues and organs. There are many circumstances that can induce asphyxia, all of which are characterized by an inability of an individual to acquire sufficient oxygen through breathing for an extended period of time. Asphyxia can cause coma or death.




This is the precise reason why, when using nitrogen to purge certain machinery, working in enclosed spaces can be lethal if proper precautions are not taken.



Otherwise such an atmosphere is perfectly safe to walk in it naked.



If you wonder what is the minimum oxygen concentration needed to sustain human life, you can refer to this




Serious side effects can occur if the oxygen levels drop outside the safe zone. When oxygen concentrations drop from 19.5 to 16 percent, and you engage in physical activity, your cells fail to receive the oxygen needed to function correctly. Mental functions become impaired and respiration intermittent at oxygen concentrations that drop from 10 to 14 percent; at these levels with any amount of physical activity, the body becomes exhausted. Humans won't survive with levels at 6 percent or lower.







share|improve this answer











$endgroup$



This question asks for hard science. All answers to this question should be backed up by equations, empirical evidence, scientific papers, other citations, etc. Answers that do not satisfy this requirement might be removed. See the tag description for more information.













  • $begingroup$
    Nice, I totally hadn't thought of that, not sure how a biosphere of any sort fits in with it but it's certainly food for thought.
    $endgroup$
    – Ash
    8 hours ago






  • 1




    $begingroup$
    If this is going to be an outside naked kind of world, I want nitrous oxide in the mix.
    $endgroup$
    – Willk
    8 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    This was essentially the Earth's atmosphere for the first billion years that life existed
    $endgroup$
    – Joel Keene
    3 hours ago















9












$begingroup$


an atmosphere that is lethal if you get a breath or two but won't burn your skin off or poison you anyway when you walk out the door without your moon suit?




take our atmosphere and remove all the oxygen, replacing it with an inert gas like nitrogen.



Asphyxia will ensue after a couple of breathes.




Asphyxia or asphyxiation is a condition of deficient supply of oxygen to the body that arises from abnormal breathing. An example of asphyxia is choking. Asphyxia causes generalized hypoxia, which affects primarily the tissues and organs. There are many circumstances that can induce asphyxia, all of which are characterized by an inability of an individual to acquire sufficient oxygen through breathing for an extended period of time. Asphyxia can cause coma or death.




This is the precise reason why, when using nitrogen to purge certain machinery, working in enclosed spaces can be lethal if proper precautions are not taken.



Otherwise such an atmosphere is perfectly safe to walk in it naked.



If you wonder what is the minimum oxygen concentration needed to sustain human life, you can refer to this




Serious side effects can occur if the oxygen levels drop outside the safe zone. When oxygen concentrations drop from 19.5 to 16 percent, and you engage in physical activity, your cells fail to receive the oxygen needed to function correctly. Mental functions become impaired and respiration intermittent at oxygen concentrations that drop from 10 to 14 percent; at these levels with any amount of physical activity, the body becomes exhausted. Humans won't survive with levels at 6 percent or lower.







share|improve this answer











$endgroup$



This question asks for hard science. All answers to this question should be backed up by equations, empirical evidence, scientific papers, other citations, etc. Answers that do not satisfy this requirement might be removed. See the tag description for more information.













  • $begingroup$
    Nice, I totally hadn't thought of that, not sure how a biosphere of any sort fits in with it but it's certainly food for thought.
    $endgroup$
    – Ash
    8 hours ago






  • 1




    $begingroup$
    If this is going to be an outside naked kind of world, I want nitrous oxide in the mix.
    $endgroup$
    – Willk
    8 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    This was essentially the Earth's atmosphere for the first billion years that life existed
    $endgroup$
    – Joel Keene
    3 hours ago













9












9








9





$begingroup$


an atmosphere that is lethal if you get a breath or two but won't burn your skin off or poison you anyway when you walk out the door without your moon suit?




take our atmosphere and remove all the oxygen, replacing it with an inert gas like nitrogen.



Asphyxia will ensue after a couple of breathes.




Asphyxia or asphyxiation is a condition of deficient supply of oxygen to the body that arises from abnormal breathing. An example of asphyxia is choking. Asphyxia causes generalized hypoxia, which affects primarily the tissues and organs. There are many circumstances that can induce asphyxia, all of which are characterized by an inability of an individual to acquire sufficient oxygen through breathing for an extended period of time. Asphyxia can cause coma or death.




This is the precise reason why, when using nitrogen to purge certain machinery, working in enclosed spaces can be lethal if proper precautions are not taken.



Otherwise such an atmosphere is perfectly safe to walk in it naked.



If you wonder what is the minimum oxygen concentration needed to sustain human life, you can refer to this




Serious side effects can occur if the oxygen levels drop outside the safe zone. When oxygen concentrations drop from 19.5 to 16 percent, and you engage in physical activity, your cells fail to receive the oxygen needed to function correctly. Mental functions become impaired and respiration intermittent at oxygen concentrations that drop from 10 to 14 percent; at these levels with any amount of physical activity, the body becomes exhausted. Humans won't survive with levels at 6 percent or lower.







share|improve this answer











$endgroup$




an atmosphere that is lethal if you get a breath or two but won't burn your skin off or poison you anyway when you walk out the door without your moon suit?




take our atmosphere and remove all the oxygen, replacing it with an inert gas like nitrogen.



Asphyxia will ensue after a couple of breathes.




Asphyxia or asphyxiation is a condition of deficient supply of oxygen to the body that arises from abnormal breathing. An example of asphyxia is choking. Asphyxia causes generalized hypoxia, which affects primarily the tissues and organs. There are many circumstances that can induce asphyxia, all of which are characterized by an inability of an individual to acquire sufficient oxygen through breathing for an extended period of time. Asphyxia can cause coma or death.




This is the precise reason why, when using nitrogen to purge certain machinery, working in enclosed spaces can be lethal if proper precautions are not taken.



Otherwise such an atmosphere is perfectly safe to walk in it naked.



If you wonder what is the minimum oxygen concentration needed to sustain human life, you can refer to this




Serious side effects can occur if the oxygen levels drop outside the safe zone. When oxygen concentrations drop from 19.5 to 16 percent, and you engage in physical activity, your cells fail to receive the oxygen needed to function correctly. Mental functions become impaired and respiration intermittent at oxygen concentrations that drop from 10 to 14 percent; at these levels with any amount of physical activity, the body becomes exhausted. Humans won't survive with levels at 6 percent or lower.








share|improve this answer














share|improve this answer



share|improve this answer








edited 7 hours ago

























answered 8 hours ago









L.DutchL.Dutch

96.1k30223464




96.1k30223464



This question asks for hard science. All answers to this question should be backed up by equations, empirical evidence, scientific papers, other citations, etc. Answers that do not satisfy this requirement might be removed. See the tag description for more information.




This question asks for hard science. All answers to this question should be backed up by equations, empirical evidence, scientific papers, other citations, etc. Answers that do not satisfy this requirement might be removed. See the tag description for more information.












  • $begingroup$
    Nice, I totally hadn't thought of that, not sure how a biosphere of any sort fits in with it but it's certainly food for thought.
    $endgroup$
    – Ash
    8 hours ago






  • 1




    $begingroup$
    If this is going to be an outside naked kind of world, I want nitrous oxide in the mix.
    $endgroup$
    – Willk
    8 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    This was essentially the Earth's atmosphere for the first billion years that life existed
    $endgroup$
    – Joel Keene
    3 hours ago
















  • $begingroup$
    Nice, I totally hadn't thought of that, not sure how a biosphere of any sort fits in with it but it's certainly food for thought.
    $endgroup$
    – Ash
    8 hours ago






  • 1




    $begingroup$
    If this is going to be an outside naked kind of world, I want nitrous oxide in the mix.
    $endgroup$
    – Willk
    8 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    This was essentially the Earth's atmosphere for the first billion years that life existed
    $endgroup$
    – Joel Keene
    3 hours ago















$begingroup$
Nice, I totally hadn't thought of that, not sure how a biosphere of any sort fits in with it but it's certainly food for thought.
$endgroup$
– Ash
8 hours ago




$begingroup$
Nice, I totally hadn't thought of that, not sure how a biosphere of any sort fits in with it but it's certainly food for thought.
$endgroup$
– Ash
8 hours ago




1




1




$begingroup$
If this is going to be an outside naked kind of world, I want nitrous oxide in the mix.
$endgroup$
– Willk
8 hours ago




$begingroup$
If this is going to be an outside naked kind of world, I want nitrous oxide in the mix.
$endgroup$
– Willk
8 hours ago












$begingroup$
This was essentially the Earth's atmosphere for the first billion years that life existed
$endgroup$
– Joel Keene
3 hours ago




$begingroup$
This was essentially the Earth's atmosphere for the first billion years that life existed
$endgroup$
– Joel Keene
3 hours ago











6












$begingroup$

My suggestion:



  • 60% Xenon


  • 20% Oxygen

  • 15% Nitrogen

  • 5% Carbon dioxide

Why Xenon?



Xenon is a noble gas. It has very few common chemical reactions, and is frequently used in situations where air is too reactive to be safe. It's safe to touch and even safe to breathe.



It's also a very effective anesthetic. Present-day doctors in Europe use it because it is remarkably side-effect free, if quite expensive. A few breaths of Xenon and you'll be out cold.



Why Oxygen?



20% oxygen is around the level we have in our atmosphere. This way, fire still burns and iron still rusts in your world the same as on Earth.



Why Nitrogen?



You have enough carbon dioxide to grow plants, but they need N2 in the air to keep the nitrogen cycle running. 15% is too little for the nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the soil, but your crew could have genetically modified soil bacteria for farming.



Why Carbon Dioxide?



This is how you die. CO2 is very stable and inert, but at concentrations of around 5000 ppm (0.5%), it becomes quite toxic. At these levels, it's so far above the lethality threshold that if you breathe this, you will die.



How does it work?



An astronaut is working on a new construction for the planetary base when her breathing mask undergoes a malfunction, disabling the low-air alarms. The astronaut continues working as her mask slowly runs out of air, and loses track of time. When the tank is almost empty, the broken alarm fails to remind her to refill, and without realizing, she begins to breathe the atmospheric air.



After three or four breaths, she begins to feel unusually drowsy. As soon as she realizes what happened, she holds her breath, but the xenon has already taken effect. Two shaky steps towards base later and she collapses on the floor, unconscious. Her brain, fooled by the apparently welcoming air, resumes breathing, taking in 13 times more carbon dioxide than she can handle. Instead of carbon dioxide from her lungs breathing out into the air, CO2 diffuses from the atmosphere into her alveoli, flooding her bloodstream with carbonic acid. Her blood pH rises out of control, and she dies of carbon dioxide poisoning in under a minute.



Pros:



  • No damage to skin or clothing

  • Lethal after a few breaths

  • Behaves effectively the same as our atmosphere in most everyday situations

  • You can grow crops with minimal modifications.

Cons:



  • You need to explain how the hell the atmosphere became 60% Xenon. A comet, maybe, or it orbits a star with lots of Xenon?

Sources:



https://climate.ncsu.edu/edu/Composition



http://www.aragonvalley.com/en/effects-of-co2-in-humans/



https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17552896



http://anesthesiology.pubs.asahq.org/article.aspx?articleid=1945725






share|improve this answer









$endgroup$












  • $begingroup$
    Does it need that much Xenon? Xenon is doable, a lot of Xenon even but that high a fraction is extremely hard to justify.
    $endgroup$
    – Ash
    6 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    @Ash medical concentration is 60-70 percent xenon, the rest oxygen. Any less and the anesthetic could take minutes to set in. Carbon dioxide won't put you to sleep, you can survive a few minutes of it and get to safety. The xenon makes it much more dangerous.
    $endgroup$
    – Adrian Hall
    5 hours ago















6












$begingroup$

My suggestion:



  • 60% Xenon


  • 20% Oxygen

  • 15% Nitrogen

  • 5% Carbon dioxide

Why Xenon?



Xenon is a noble gas. It has very few common chemical reactions, and is frequently used in situations where air is too reactive to be safe. It's safe to touch and even safe to breathe.



It's also a very effective anesthetic. Present-day doctors in Europe use it because it is remarkably side-effect free, if quite expensive. A few breaths of Xenon and you'll be out cold.



Why Oxygen?



20% oxygen is around the level we have in our atmosphere. This way, fire still burns and iron still rusts in your world the same as on Earth.



Why Nitrogen?



You have enough carbon dioxide to grow plants, but they need N2 in the air to keep the nitrogen cycle running. 15% is too little for the nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the soil, but your crew could have genetically modified soil bacteria for farming.



Why Carbon Dioxide?



This is how you die. CO2 is very stable and inert, but at concentrations of around 5000 ppm (0.5%), it becomes quite toxic. At these levels, it's so far above the lethality threshold that if you breathe this, you will die.



How does it work?



An astronaut is working on a new construction for the planetary base when her breathing mask undergoes a malfunction, disabling the low-air alarms. The astronaut continues working as her mask slowly runs out of air, and loses track of time. When the tank is almost empty, the broken alarm fails to remind her to refill, and without realizing, she begins to breathe the atmospheric air.



After three or four breaths, she begins to feel unusually drowsy. As soon as she realizes what happened, she holds her breath, but the xenon has already taken effect. Two shaky steps towards base later and she collapses on the floor, unconscious. Her brain, fooled by the apparently welcoming air, resumes breathing, taking in 13 times more carbon dioxide than she can handle. Instead of carbon dioxide from her lungs breathing out into the air, CO2 diffuses from the atmosphere into her alveoli, flooding her bloodstream with carbonic acid. Her blood pH rises out of control, and she dies of carbon dioxide poisoning in under a minute.



Pros:



  • No damage to skin or clothing

  • Lethal after a few breaths

  • Behaves effectively the same as our atmosphere in most everyday situations

  • You can grow crops with minimal modifications.

Cons:



  • You need to explain how the hell the atmosphere became 60% Xenon. A comet, maybe, or it orbits a star with lots of Xenon?

Sources:



https://climate.ncsu.edu/edu/Composition



http://www.aragonvalley.com/en/effects-of-co2-in-humans/



https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17552896



http://anesthesiology.pubs.asahq.org/article.aspx?articleid=1945725






share|improve this answer









$endgroup$












  • $begingroup$
    Does it need that much Xenon? Xenon is doable, a lot of Xenon even but that high a fraction is extremely hard to justify.
    $endgroup$
    – Ash
    6 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    @Ash medical concentration is 60-70 percent xenon, the rest oxygen. Any less and the anesthetic could take minutes to set in. Carbon dioxide won't put you to sleep, you can survive a few minutes of it and get to safety. The xenon makes it much more dangerous.
    $endgroup$
    – Adrian Hall
    5 hours ago













6












6








6





$begingroup$

My suggestion:



  • 60% Xenon


  • 20% Oxygen

  • 15% Nitrogen

  • 5% Carbon dioxide

Why Xenon?



Xenon is a noble gas. It has very few common chemical reactions, and is frequently used in situations where air is too reactive to be safe. It's safe to touch and even safe to breathe.



It's also a very effective anesthetic. Present-day doctors in Europe use it because it is remarkably side-effect free, if quite expensive. A few breaths of Xenon and you'll be out cold.



Why Oxygen?



20% oxygen is around the level we have in our atmosphere. This way, fire still burns and iron still rusts in your world the same as on Earth.



Why Nitrogen?



You have enough carbon dioxide to grow plants, but they need N2 in the air to keep the nitrogen cycle running. 15% is too little for the nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the soil, but your crew could have genetically modified soil bacteria for farming.



Why Carbon Dioxide?



This is how you die. CO2 is very stable and inert, but at concentrations of around 5000 ppm (0.5%), it becomes quite toxic. At these levels, it's so far above the lethality threshold that if you breathe this, you will die.



How does it work?



An astronaut is working on a new construction for the planetary base when her breathing mask undergoes a malfunction, disabling the low-air alarms. The astronaut continues working as her mask slowly runs out of air, and loses track of time. When the tank is almost empty, the broken alarm fails to remind her to refill, and without realizing, she begins to breathe the atmospheric air.



After three or four breaths, she begins to feel unusually drowsy. As soon as she realizes what happened, she holds her breath, but the xenon has already taken effect. Two shaky steps towards base later and she collapses on the floor, unconscious. Her brain, fooled by the apparently welcoming air, resumes breathing, taking in 13 times more carbon dioxide than she can handle. Instead of carbon dioxide from her lungs breathing out into the air, CO2 diffuses from the atmosphere into her alveoli, flooding her bloodstream with carbonic acid. Her blood pH rises out of control, and she dies of carbon dioxide poisoning in under a minute.



Pros:



  • No damage to skin or clothing

  • Lethal after a few breaths

  • Behaves effectively the same as our atmosphere in most everyday situations

  • You can grow crops with minimal modifications.

Cons:



  • You need to explain how the hell the atmosphere became 60% Xenon. A comet, maybe, or it orbits a star with lots of Xenon?

Sources:



https://climate.ncsu.edu/edu/Composition



http://www.aragonvalley.com/en/effects-of-co2-in-humans/



https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17552896



http://anesthesiology.pubs.asahq.org/article.aspx?articleid=1945725






share|improve this answer









$endgroup$



My suggestion:



  • 60% Xenon


  • 20% Oxygen

  • 15% Nitrogen

  • 5% Carbon dioxide

Why Xenon?



Xenon is a noble gas. It has very few common chemical reactions, and is frequently used in situations where air is too reactive to be safe. It's safe to touch and even safe to breathe.



It's also a very effective anesthetic. Present-day doctors in Europe use it because it is remarkably side-effect free, if quite expensive. A few breaths of Xenon and you'll be out cold.



Why Oxygen?



20% oxygen is around the level we have in our atmosphere. This way, fire still burns and iron still rusts in your world the same as on Earth.



Why Nitrogen?



You have enough carbon dioxide to grow plants, but they need N2 in the air to keep the nitrogen cycle running. 15% is too little for the nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the soil, but your crew could have genetically modified soil bacteria for farming.



Why Carbon Dioxide?



This is how you die. CO2 is very stable and inert, but at concentrations of around 5000 ppm (0.5%), it becomes quite toxic. At these levels, it's so far above the lethality threshold that if you breathe this, you will die.



How does it work?



An astronaut is working on a new construction for the planetary base when her breathing mask undergoes a malfunction, disabling the low-air alarms. The astronaut continues working as her mask slowly runs out of air, and loses track of time. When the tank is almost empty, the broken alarm fails to remind her to refill, and without realizing, she begins to breathe the atmospheric air.



After three or four breaths, she begins to feel unusually drowsy. As soon as she realizes what happened, she holds her breath, but the xenon has already taken effect. Two shaky steps towards base later and she collapses on the floor, unconscious. Her brain, fooled by the apparently welcoming air, resumes breathing, taking in 13 times more carbon dioxide than she can handle. Instead of carbon dioxide from her lungs breathing out into the air, CO2 diffuses from the atmosphere into her alveoli, flooding her bloodstream with carbonic acid. Her blood pH rises out of control, and she dies of carbon dioxide poisoning in under a minute.



Pros:



  • No damage to skin or clothing

  • Lethal after a few breaths

  • Behaves effectively the same as our atmosphere in most everyday situations

  • You can grow crops with minimal modifications.

Cons:



  • You need to explain how the hell the atmosphere became 60% Xenon. A comet, maybe, or it orbits a star with lots of Xenon?

Sources:



https://climate.ncsu.edu/edu/Composition



http://www.aragonvalley.com/en/effects-of-co2-in-humans/



https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17552896



http://anesthesiology.pubs.asahq.org/article.aspx?articleid=1945725







share|improve this answer












share|improve this answer



share|improve this answer










answered 6 hours ago









Adrian HallAdrian Hall

1,585116




1,585116











  • $begingroup$
    Does it need that much Xenon? Xenon is doable, a lot of Xenon even but that high a fraction is extremely hard to justify.
    $endgroup$
    – Ash
    6 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    @Ash medical concentration is 60-70 percent xenon, the rest oxygen. Any less and the anesthetic could take minutes to set in. Carbon dioxide won't put you to sleep, you can survive a few minutes of it and get to safety. The xenon makes it much more dangerous.
    $endgroup$
    – Adrian Hall
    5 hours ago
















  • $begingroup$
    Does it need that much Xenon? Xenon is doable, a lot of Xenon even but that high a fraction is extremely hard to justify.
    $endgroup$
    – Ash
    6 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    @Ash medical concentration is 60-70 percent xenon, the rest oxygen. Any less and the anesthetic could take minutes to set in. Carbon dioxide won't put you to sleep, you can survive a few minutes of it and get to safety. The xenon makes it much more dangerous.
    $endgroup$
    – Adrian Hall
    5 hours ago















$begingroup$
Does it need that much Xenon? Xenon is doable, a lot of Xenon even but that high a fraction is extremely hard to justify.
$endgroup$
– Ash
6 hours ago




$begingroup$
Does it need that much Xenon? Xenon is doable, a lot of Xenon even but that high a fraction is extremely hard to justify.
$endgroup$
– Ash
6 hours ago












$begingroup$
@Ash medical concentration is 60-70 percent xenon, the rest oxygen. Any less and the anesthetic could take minutes to set in. Carbon dioxide won't put you to sleep, you can survive a few minutes of it and get to safety. The xenon makes it much more dangerous.
$endgroup$
– Adrian Hall
5 hours ago




$begingroup$
@Ash medical concentration is 60-70 percent xenon, the rest oxygen. Any less and the anesthetic could take minutes to set in. Carbon dioxide won't put you to sleep, you can survive a few minutes of it and get to safety. The xenon makes it much more dangerous.
$endgroup$
– Adrian Hall
5 hours ago











4












$begingroup$

Carbon monoxide is a nice easy one. Colourless, odourless, non-corrosive, lethal at concentrations above 500 (or thereabouts) parts per million. It will oxidise over time to carbon dioxide in an oxygen atmosphere, so you’ll need some biological source to keep replenishing it.






share|improve this answer









$endgroup$



This question asks for hard science. All answers to this question should be backed up by equations, empirical evidence, scientific papers, other citations, etc. Answers that do not satisfy this requirement might be removed. See the tag description for more information.













  • $begingroup$
    More like 12,800 ppm for the "if you get a breath or two" in the question, at that kind of level it's effects as a reductant are going to be extremely noticeable.
    $endgroup$
    – Ash
    8 hours ago















4












$begingroup$

Carbon monoxide is a nice easy one. Colourless, odourless, non-corrosive, lethal at concentrations above 500 (or thereabouts) parts per million. It will oxidise over time to carbon dioxide in an oxygen atmosphere, so you’ll need some biological source to keep replenishing it.






share|improve this answer









$endgroup$



This question asks for hard science. All answers to this question should be backed up by equations, empirical evidence, scientific papers, other citations, etc. Answers that do not satisfy this requirement might be removed. See the tag description for more information.













  • $begingroup$
    More like 12,800 ppm for the "if you get a breath or two" in the question, at that kind of level it's effects as a reductant are going to be extremely noticeable.
    $endgroup$
    – Ash
    8 hours ago













4












4








4





$begingroup$

Carbon monoxide is a nice easy one. Colourless, odourless, non-corrosive, lethal at concentrations above 500 (or thereabouts) parts per million. It will oxidise over time to carbon dioxide in an oxygen atmosphere, so you’ll need some biological source to keep replenishing it.






share|improve this answer









$endgroup$



Carbon monoxide is a nice easy one. Colourless, odourless, non-corrosive, lethal at concentrations above 500 (or thereabouts) parts per million. It will oxidise over time to carbon dioxide in an oxygen atmosphere, so you’ll need some biological source to keep replenishing it.







share|improve this answer












share|improve this answer



share|improve this answer










answered 8 hours ago









Mike ScottMike Scott

12.2k32451




12.2k32451



This question asks for hard science. All answers to this question should be backed up by equations, empirical evidence, scientific papers, other citations, etc. Answers that do not satisfy this requirement might be removed. See the tag description for more information.




This question asks for hard science. All answers to this question should be backed up by equations, empirical evidence, scientific papers, other citations, etc. Answers that do not satisfy this requirement might be removed. See the tag description for more information.












  • $begingroup$
    More like 12,800 ppm for the "if you get a breath or two" in the question, at that kind of level it's effects as a reductant are going to be extremely noticeable.
    $endgroup$
    – Ash
    8 hours ago
















  • $begingroup$
    More like 12,800 ppm for the "if you get a breath or two" in the question, at that kind of level it's effects as a reductant are going to be extremely noticeable.
    $endgroup$
    – Ash
    8 hours ago















$begingroup$
More like 12,800 ppm for the "if you get a breath or two" in the question, at that kind of level it's effects as a reductant are going to be extremely noticeable.
$endgroup$
– Ash
8 hours ago




$begingroup$
More like 12,800 ppm for the "if you get a breath or two" in the question, at that kind of level it's effects as a reductant are going to be extremely noticeable.
$endgroup$
– Ash
8 hours ago











2












$begingroup$

Helium. It is very inert, and used by deep divers to replace nitrogen due to it being safer at high pressures. It can enter all your tissues without causing harm. The only side effect to breathing it is a funny voice.



In an atmosphere made of pure helium, a human would die of asphyxia. That would be the only damage caused by such an environment.






share|improve this answer











$endgroup$












  • $begingroup$
    Humorous but lacking in the biosphere part of the question.
    $endgroup$
    – Ash
    8 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    Main issue here is that helium is really light, and won't maintain a pressure similar to earth's without way more gravity than earth's.
    $endgroup$
    – Adrian Hall
    7 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    @AdrianHall pressure does not depend just on gravity. Simply add more gas.
    $endgroup$
    – Renan
    6 hours ago







  • 1




    $begingroup$
    @AdrianHall Venus has less gravity than Earth and it's 900atm at ground level.
    $endgroup$
    – Ash
    6 hours ago






  • 1




    $begingroup$
    @AdrianHall "Venus air is much denser than Earth air." my point exactly, atmospheric density is weird and complex, it doesn't quite follow any one rule.
    $endgroup$
    – Ash
    5 hours ago
















2












$begingroup$

Helium. It is very inert, and used by deep divers to replace nitrogen due to it being safer at high pressures. It can enter all your tissues without causing harm. The only side effect to breathing it is a funny voice.



In an atmosphere made of pure helium, a human would die of asphyxia. That would be the only damage caused by such an environment.






share|improve this answer











$endgroup$












  • $begingroup$
    Humorous but lacking in the biosphere part of the question.
    $endgroup$
    – Ash
    8 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    Main issue here is that helium is really light, and won't maintain a pressure similar to earth's without way more gravity than earth's.
    $endgroup$
    – Adrian Hall
    7 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    @AdrianHall pressure does not depend just on gravity. Simply add more gas.
    $endgroup$
    – Renan
    6 hours ago







  • 1




    $begingroup$
    @AdrianHall Venus has less gravity than Earth and it's 900atm at ground level.
    $endgroup$
    – Ash
    6 hours ago






  • 1




    $begingroup$
    @AdrianHall "Venus air is much denser than Earth air." my point exactly, atmospheric density is weird and complex, it doesn't quite follow any one rule.
    $endgroup$
    – Ash
    5 hours ago














2












2








2





$begingroup$

Helium. It is very inert, and used by deep divers to replace nitrogen due to it being safer at high pressures. It can enter all your tissues without causing harm. The only side effect to breathing it is a funny voice.



In an atmosphere made of pure helium, a human would die of asphyxia. That would be the only damage caused by such an environment.






share|improve this answer











$endgroup$



Helium. It is very inert, and used by deep divers to replace nitrogen due to it being safer at high pressures. It can enter all your tissues without causing harm. The only side effect to breathing it is a funny voice.



In an atmosphere made of pure helium, a human would die of asphyxia. That would be the only damage caused by such an environment.







share|improve this answer














share|improve this answer



share|improve this answer








edited 7 hours ago









Ash

28.7k469157




28.7k469157










answered 8 hours ago









RenanRenan

56.4k15126281




56.4k15126281











  • $begingroup$
    Humorous but lacking in the biosphere part of the question.
    $endgroup$
    – Ash
    8 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    Main issue here is that helium is really light, and won't maintain a pressure similar to earth's without way more gravity than earth's.
    $endgroup$
    – Adrian Hall
    7 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    @AdrianHall pressure does not depend just on gravity. Simply add more gas.
    $endgroup$
    – Renan
    6 hours ago







  • 1




    $begingroup$
    @AdrianHall Venus has less gravity than Earth and it's 900atm at ground level.
    $endgroup$
    – Ash
    6 hours ago






  • 1




    $begingroup$
    @AdrianHall "Venus air is much denser than Earth air." my point exactly, atmospheric density is weird and complex, it doesn't quite follow any one rule.
    $endgroup$
    – Ash
    5 hours ago

















  • $begingroup$
    Humorous but lacking in the biosphere part of the question.
    $endgroup$
    – Ash
    8 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    Main issue here is that helium is really light, and won't maintain a pressure similar to earth's without way more gravity than earth's.
    $endgroup$
    – Adrian Hall
    7 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    @AdrianHall pressure does not depend just on gravity. Simply add more gas.
    $endgroup$
    – Renan
    6 hours ago







  • 1




    $begingroup$
    @AdrianHall Venus has less gravity than Earth and it's 900atm at ground level.
    $endgroup$
    – Ash
    6 hours ago






  • 1




    $begingroup$
    @AdrianHall "Venus air is much denser than Earth air." my point exactly, atmospheric density is weird and complex, it doesn't quite follow any one rule.
    $endgroup$
    – Ash
    5 hours ago
















$begingroup$
Humorous but lacking in the biosphere part of the question.
$endgroup$
– Ash
8 hours ago




$begingroup$
Humorous but lacking in the biosphere part of the question.
$endgroup$
– Ash
8 hours ago












$begingroup$
Main issue here is that helium is really light, and won't maintain a pressure similar to earth's without way more gravity than earth's.
$endgroup$
– Adrian Hall
7 hours ago




$begingroup$
Main issue here is that helium is really light, and won't maintain a pressure similar to earth's without way more gravity than earth's.
$endgroup$
– Adrian Hall
7 hours ago












$begingroup$
@AdrianHall pressure does not depend just on gravity. Simply add more gas.
$endgroup$
– Renan
6 hours ago





$begingroup$
@AdrianHall pressure does not depend just on gravity. Simply add more gas.
$endgroup$
– Renan
6 hours ago





1




1




$begingroup$
@AdrianHall Venus has less gravity than Earth and it's 900atm at ground level.
$endgroup$
– Ash
6 hours ago




$begingroup$
@AdrianHall Venus has less gravity than Earth and it's 900atm at ground level.
$endgroup$
– Ash
6 hours ago




1




1




$begingroup$
@AdrianHall "Venus air is much denser than Earth air." my point exactly, atmospheric density is weird and complex, it doesn't quite follow any one rule.
$endgroup$
– Ash
5 hours ago





$begingroup$
@AdrianHall "Venus air is much denser than Earth air." my point exactly, atmospheric density is weird and complex, it doesn't quite follow any one rule.
$endgroup$
– Ash
5 hours ago


















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