Sulfur Facts

The 'rotten egg' smell is associated with sulfur compounds, but pure sulfur is an odorless yellow solid. Sulfur is a component of gunpowder, is used to vulcanize rubber, and can serve as an electrical insulator. The element is essential for human life, but sulfur compounds can be toxic. For example, hydrogen sulfide (which has the rotten egg smell) can cause death from respiratory paralysis, while deadening your sense of smell after the initial exposure so that you could be unaware of the hazard. More about sulfur...