Xenon sinks? The powers of diffusion, eddy currents, and olfaction

[broseus%nihrsb.dnet@dxi.nih.gov (Roger W. Broseus, Ph.D.; RB27m@NIH.GOV)]

There has been so much discussion on this topic that I find it impossible to
avoid adding one more note on the topic of sinking xenon.

Anyone out there ever smell a banana?  Do bears ____ in the woods?  In the
Smoky Mountains National Park, bears break into food supplies to such an
extent that park rangers patrol for unsecured food.  Particular warning is
given for the storage of bananas because bears can smell them from quite
some distance away.  Now what is it that tickles their olfactories?  An ester
(with a small "e").  Many have made banana oil back in high school chemistry
class.  Banana oil (isoamyl acetate) has a molecular weight of 130.18, quite
close to that of xenon).  So, diffusion and, of course, mass movement of air
currents, carries gasses quite far, even up to nose (read: inhale) height.

Me thinks that if all of the xenon released in a room were to fall to the floor
and roll out the door, we wouldn't need to consider inhalation hazards in the
first place.

This probably is not the last word on this subject, but it sure has been fun!

-- Roger