Can one breathe industrial oxygen

I was told by a friend who owned an industrial gas/welding supply company that it's the exact same oxygen; the only difference is the medical oxygen has a chrome valve on the cylinder.

I've wondered too what Iggy asked. Not as in "fair-weather choices" but what could be done in a difficult situation where no choice is ideal. Rustyjames comments - thanks. Any other takes on this?

Years ago in my scuba class I was taught to seek out a welding tank of O2 in an emergency to treat the bends while waiting for the paramedics. Art

I accept no liability for anyone else's actions.

I am not a doctor and don't play one on USENET.

If you or a loved one are in medical distress, call 911 or the applicable emergency number in your area. Do not self-treat. Rely on competent medical help.

The symptoms outlined in this post are consistent with dangerous, communicable disease.

However, yes.

Twice over the last decade, I've recovered from excessive breathing difficulty caused by 'lung gunk', apparent by violent coughing and a 'crackly' noise when inhaling. "Lung Gunk" is fluid trapped in the lungs which gets progressively worse, can result in colored sputum but does not clear by itself.

I stumbled into the 'shop' and began breathing ~100% O2 from my oxygas rig for several minutes per session. After three sessions, I was breathing much more easily. The coughing stopped and I was able to return to bed. By morning almost all the fluid had been eliminated, the 'crackling' noise was much reduced and I was breathing normally. Two days later, I was free of symptoms.

It worked for me twice but "two anecdotes do not equal data", or medical advice.

YMMV.

--Winston

Yes, absolutely. The purity standard for welding O2 is higher (99.5%) than the standard for medical O2 (95%). In reality, all grades are filled from the same cryo tanks of O2 and are significantly more pure than their respective standards. Only the analytical grade gets more stringent handling.

Divers in particular make extensive use of O2 for blending breathing gas mixtures (I have DSAT gas blender certification), and most private blenders use welding grade O2 for their mixes. Commercial dive shops usually use USP or Aviator grade strictly for insurance purposes. All grades will analyze at 99.9% on your O2 analyzer. A commercial diver training facility I visited had only welding grade O2 (dozens of cylinders) which they used for their breathing gas mixes and hyperbaric chambers.

Yes, absolutely. More than once a fellow we knew who was on oxygen almost full time came over and borrowed my Dad's welding bottle when we lived out in the boonies. He would get his med bottle filled, and return my Dad's bottle full the next day.

Only difference is the fancy bottle and the price.

You do not want to breathe pure oxygen, but welding oxygen can be substituted for medical oxygen.

=20 Dan

According to Lincoln, the specs for cutting oxygen are more stringent than those for breathing oxygen. So I'd go with Yes. But do pay attention to the effects, since breathing pure oxygen has negative effects which accumulate the longer you breathe it (and even faster is you breathe it under pressure.) See oxygen toxicity. Under pressure they can set in in minutes.

There are also the unintended consequences of accumulating a good deal of highly oxygenated gas if you are breathing it in an enclosed space which happens to have anything combustible in it and the remotest chance of ignition/spark. See Apollo I.

Central nervous system oxygen toxicity and pulmonary oxygen toxicity are different. At atmospheric pressure CNS O2 toxicity isn't a threat. Pulmonary O2 toxicity isn't a threat unless you are breathing pure O2 for quite a long time (days).

This a a notable risk, particularly if you plan to be breathing this pure O2 in proximity to a running engine. A safer option would be to breath air from your compressor via a proper filter. Such filters are available commercially to provide breathing air from shop air. I expect Iggy can find one used for $25.

A friend fills his "flight tanks" from standard industrial (welding) cyl.

I'd bubble it through water so your mucus membranes don't dry out. But I'd have a care - I've heard (or read) that breathing pure O2 isn't all that good for you.

We used welding oxygen on our decompression chambers, and not medical. And there's nothing wrong with me with me with me with me SLAP!

Steve

Or you could probably get an aquarium pump for about ten bucks. ;-)

Cheers! Rich

Have you tried coughing "downhill?" Like, lie face down half on the bed, with your torso hanging over the edge, so that you're not coughing against gravity?

Did you try some hot chicken broth or a hot toddy to loosen the gunk?

In any case, I'm glad to hear that you got better. :-)

Cheers! Rich

I wonder what would happen if you mixed in a little argon.

Thanks, Rich

OK, thanks guys. Since oxygen is made by fractioning air, I would not expect it to have any "bad stuff".

Apparently so (see thread), but why? ?:-\

Thanks, Rich

Same at the commercial diver school I visited. I even helped change out a couple cylinders at the deco chamber we were using.

Mine too. O2 from my friendly welding supply.