Scientists Sniff Out Nearly 6,000 Gas Leaks In Washington, D.C.
Leaking pipes A new study found 5,893 natural gas leaks under the streets of Washington, D.C. Duke University / Environmental Science & Technology This is not exactly comforting for residents of Washington, D.C.: a new study found 5,893 natural gas leaks under the city's streets. In a dozen cases, methane concentrations were found to be as high as 500,000 parts per million, which is about 10 times greater than the threshold at which explosions can occur, according to a statement from Duke University. "If you dropped a cigarette down a manhole ... it could have blown up," Robert Jackson, professor of environmental sciences at Duke who led the study, told USA Today. "I was shocked." The scientists sniffed out the leaks "under all 1,500 road miles within Washington using a high-precision Picarro G2301 Cavity...