Ethylene Explosions

It does not happen often...but ethylene explosions in ripening rooms do occur.

Ethylene is highly explosive at concentrations of 27,000 parts per million. Only 50 ppm will trigger many fruits to ripen (100-150 ppm is the recommended level for most). Our ethylene generators and Ethy-Gen® II Ripening Concentrate form a system that, when used as directed, produces these lower concentrations (less than 1,000 ppm) of ethylene required for ripening. Therefore, Catalytic Generators are the safest commercial form of ripening; they produce small, controlled amounts of ethylene and when used as directed, they cannot produce explosive amounts of ethylene. That is why so many fresh produce companies use our generators rather than gas (pure ethylene) cylinders. We have had our system thoroughly tested for maximum ethylene production; when using our generator and Ethy-Gen® II Ripening Concentrate in rooms that are 1,500 ft³ (43 m³) or larger, there is NO chance of ethylene explosion.

The United Kingdom takes the threat of explosion from cylinders very seriously. The UK's Health and Safety Executive/Local Authorities Enforcement Liaison Committee (HELA) has posted a circular on their web site explaining that generators are the preferred options for ethylene application and that the "use of cylinders of pure ethylene should be vigorously discouraged." For more details, click here.


Here are a few of the explosions that have taken place over the last 40 years.
The common denominator is each case: gas (pure ethylene) cylinders.

Los Angeles, CA, 1999
The picture above shows the result of a spark igniting what was too much ethylene in a ripening room. An ethylene cylinder, believed to be empty, was left open in a ripening room. Actually, it was determined later that the cylinder was not empty, and it continued to release ethylene into the room. The result was an ethylene level that exceeded the LEL of 27,000 ppm, and something, likely from a door opening, caused a spark, which ignited the explosion. Here is an investigative report on the explosion, and Google News article on it. Also, here is a LA Times article.

Fort Pierce, FL (date unknown...approx. late 1970's)
Fortunately, this explosion did not kill anyone...they were on their lunch break. But part of the Farmer's Market was demolished.

Lantanna, FL, 1976
The fire marshal said "it's an absolute miracle that no one was killed" in this blast caused by cylinders of ethylene gas.

Camarillo, CA, 1987
Fire officials believe the tomato packing supervisor was simply changing ethylene cylinders when this explosion occurred.

Naples, FL (date unknown...approx. late 1970's)
This explosion shows that just a spark will ignite high levels of ethylene, and that extreme care must be taken with cylinders to ensure that they do not release too much ethylene into the ripening area.

Athens, Greece, 1997
An explosion took place on March 19, 1997 in the Athens Central Fruit Market. Two people were killed as a result of leaking ethylene cylinders in banana ripening rooms. Below is a picture of the scene.