It is important to pay attention to the dangers of must gas

They indicated that, since the beginning of the week, they have been harvesting Csabagyöngye, one of the first grapes to ripen in Europe, on the southern shore of Lake Balaton. The farmers will soon start harvesting the Irsai Olivér, and then the blue grape varieties in the second half of August.

Must gas produced during the fermentation of picked fruit causes fatal accidents and serious poisonings every year. In order to prevent similar tragedies, TIM asks agricultural workers to take precautions during the harvest season.

When the must boils, the sugar from the fermenting grapes breaks down, turning it into ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide; the latter is about one and a half times heavier than air, so it accumulates from below, from the floor upwards, in basements and passages. One liter of fermenting must produces almost 42 liters of carbon dioxide.

It was pointed out that the must gas that accumulates in a closed space causes a state of oxygen deficiency, which can lead to sickness, dizziness, nausea, and mental disorders. Carbon dioxide that spreads unnoticed in higher concentrations can render its victims incapacitated, causing suffocation and putting their victims in mortal danger.