I was wandering arounding in Penarth mine today (2nd Sept 12) and came across a subtle but distinctive aroma on the main level, at the back, close to where the "Gas Bag" grafitti is and where the level drops to the lower level (where the light waterfall exists).

The aroma was fairly localised to that area and was not present on the lower level.

I would best describe it as a subtle, sweet "parma voilets" aroma but I have no clue what it is ....

Anyone any ideas ?

Are there any known mineral/chemical reactions that could create that aroma or similar aroma ?

:blink:

Ian

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Ah yes, poor air quality in that part of the mine.

Not sure what causes it, but it would be interesting if someone with a gas meter tried it out in the there as it might cast some light.

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Not sure of any minerals or reactions that could produce that smell, but there are an awful lot of adhesives/varnishes/finishes which do? The smell of Pear Drops is also common in these kind of substances. I wouldn't have thought that Peanrth is the kind of place where people dump unwanted stuff though? Odd....

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Ah yes, poor air quality in that part of the mine.

Not sure what causes it, but it would be interesting if someone with a gas meter tried it out in the there as it might cast some light.

I've been trying to get someone with a Meter in that area for 2 years now... I'm really interested to know what is in there.

There was no smell last time I was in there, but that was a couple of months ago.

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I will try and remember to take my meter with next time am up that way 🙂

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I noticed a smell in there on a visit a couple of years ago but it was more of a HS2 smell than parma violets... bit surprised to encounter it in those sort of workings, but supposed it might just have been someone's discarded egg-sandwich rotting away!

Or the guy in front? :lol:

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Or the guy in front? :lol:

Only if you're the guy in front mate. No use having a gas-detector with you around 🙂

Or the guy in front? :lol:

Only if you're the guy in front mate. No use having a gas-detector with you around :)

Its called an Ed detector :smartass:

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I noticed a H2S smell in there on a visit a couple of years ago

Yes, that is still there .... along the tunnel marked with "Gas Bag" leads to a chamber with a tunnel at the rear which has a collapse and the date "1926". Just at the entrance to that tunnel (and in the chamber), there is a climb up to the right (easy climb) with a small part of the mine up there .... the Hydrogen Sulphide is in there and it is very strong.

:blink:

Ian

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That sounds about right. What an all round olfactory extravagansa Penarth is 🙂

Am sure a saw a photo somewhere of graffiti in Penarth (or maybe it was one of the nearby mines) warning against firedamp. I might be wrong though, as I can't seem to locate said photo, and maybe I dreamed the whole thing up.

However, it did make me wonder if this is a possibility in the slate mines of the Corwen area. The rock appears rather different to what i'm used to in Cwmorthin: some of the bits I picked up proved to be somewhat softer by comparison. So some other aspects of the geology, eg the possibility of certain gases seeping out of the rock, may be different as well.

Come to think of it, I haven't heard anyone mention interesting scents in Cwmorthin, apart from that mysterious tobacco smell. (see various ghost threads) By the way would be very interested to hear if anyone has a geological theory about this as well



:smartass:


A firedamp notice would be a good detterent to the tea light brigade methinks :lol:

and, Oh, by the way, don't forget the dragon 🙂

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Seem to remember Copper (and some Cu alloy's) turn blueish black on exposure to H2S? Perhaps leave a bit of copper tube at gas location with another at known gas free area.

I would best describe it as a subtle, sweet "parma voilets" aroma but I have no clue what it is ....

Anyone any ideas ?

Well... Jessop's 1675 paper "Damps in Mines" refers to "pease-bloom damp" which had a pleasant scent and wasn't fatal, it's long been a puzzle as to what this was. I think it'd be a bit of a job to haul a gas chromatograph in there to try and find out what is causing the sweet smell though!

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Walked past the 'danger gas' sign. Nothing happened.

Some fungi growing on old timbers can emit a sweet smell, any old timber down there?

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There is a "Gasbag" sign at the beginning of the chamber tunnel, and at the end of the tunnel before the chamber proper, a warning about firedamp.

From what I hear, the bad air is right at the back of the chamber. Someone had a nasty moment there, and felt the effects for a few days afterwards.

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A friend says it could be the smell of arsine As2S2 a 1st ww poison gas the could come from the oxidation of arsenical pyrite ! unlikely to be a serious hazard though