The Effects of Gas Leaks on Vegetation

Inside the Home

• Vegetation inside a home can die instantly from certain gas leaks, especially gas leaks inside a home. According to a 1977 article in the Journal of Arboriculture, manufactured gas (gas that comes from coal-burning, petroleum or artificial chemicals mixed with coal) contain cyanogen. Cyanogen is a dangerous gas that when combined with water in the soil kills the roots of vegetation. However, according to the Heritage Research Center, manufactured gas is rare in home use, since much of the gas infrastructure in the United States uses natural gas as of the late 2000s.

Natural Gas Issues

• Natural gas requires pipelines to be constructed across municipalities to reach homes and buildings. Because of this, any gas leak can penetrate into the soil directly below a plant. The first thing that will occur is that the gas, mostly made of methane, will replace any oxygen in the soil. This process also feeds methane-eating bacteria in the soil. The two processes of bacterial growth and reduced oxidation kills the vegetation roots.

Use in Testing

• Although it is detrimental to plant life, some gas leaks are located or repaired by scientists witnessing slow plant death from the gas leak. A study by the United States Department of Energy claims that engineers can find a gas leak with ease, because the plants will slowly absorb the gas into their systems. Using infrared technology, scientists can see if plants are absorbing the gases commonly occurring in a gas leak and use these findings to fix the broken gas line.

General Health

• If a natural gas leak occurs outside, the general well-being of plants and other animals will remain stable. That is because natural gas, at low levels in an open environment, will not damage your health dramatically, according to the National Library of Medicine. Plants also will not die immediately, because the vegetation will be able to absorb water, sunlight and carbon dioxide from the air. However, the plant will become affected over time if it consistently absorbs gas through its roots. The oxidation level of the ground is reduced, and bacterial life increases dramatically in the soil.