DENVER --
A man who committed suicide with hydrogen sulfide gas triggered a hazmat response and the evacuation of two floors at a Denver high-rise Sunday night.
A Denver fire hazardous materials team found the man's body in a closet in his 12th floor apartment at 1600 Glenarm Place, said Denver fire Lt. Phil Champagne.
Investigators, who initially thought the man used cyanide gas, later determine it was hydrogen sulfide gas, Champagne said.
A person who found a suicide note mentioning a chemical on the man's apartment door and a concierge who responded to the scene were transported to an area hospital as a precaution, he said.
Champagne said authorities were alerted when a resident one floor below the suicide victim's apartment notice a vapor wafting from an air vent.
Firefighters evacuated and ventilated the 11th and 12th floors to remove the lethal heavier-than-air gas, Champagne said.
Hydrogen sulfide is a powerful, deadly gas which smells like rotten eggs at low concentrations and has a sweet smell at high concentrations, according to websites on poisonous gases.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that hydrogen sulfide in 700 to 1,000 parts per million results in rapid unconsciousness, cessation of respiration and death. In 1,000 to 2,000 parts per million, the gas can kill in a few minutes.
The incident began about 8 p.m. at the luxury apartment high-rise near the Brown Palace Hotel and the 16th Street Mall.
Authorities cordoned off the sidewalks and street around the high-rise and used monitors to check the air quality.
Report a typo or inaccuracyIf you have a news tip or a follow-up to this story, e-mail us.Copyright 2011 by TheDenverChannel.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, r
