Life on Venus: what is phosphine, the toxic and foul-smelling substance found in the planet’s clouds

It is colorless, toxic and, in addition, it smells bad: phosphine is the substance found by a group of astronomers in Venus clouds and that could suppose a clue of the presence of life

“When we got the first hints of phosphine in the Venus spectrum, it was a shock“Team leader Jane Greaves of Cardiff University was quoted as saying in a statement.

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The group believes their discovery is significant but acknowledges that confirming the presence of “life” takes much more work.

What is phosphine?

Phosphane or phosphine gas (PH3) is a molecule made up of one atom of phosphorus and three of hydrogen.

Phosphine is a colorless, toxic gas with the smell of garlic or rotting fish, describes the US Agency for Toxic Substances and Diseases Registry (ATSDR).

It is also extremely flammable and explosive. It can ignite spontaneously in contact with air.

It is listed on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Hazardous Substances List as it is toxic to humans.

It mainly affects the cardiovascular and respiratory system. Inhaling it can range from irritating the nose to damaging the lungs. It can also cause dizziness and nausea, among other symptoms.

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What is the relationship between phosphine and life?

On our planet, phosphine is associated with life because found in microbes that live in the entrails of animals.

For example, since PH3 was found in rocks that had penguin droppings.

Also the substance is present in oxygen-poor environments like swamps.

But in general, phosphine is related to insecticides and is produced industrially.

“Phosphine is used as a fumigant, as a doping agent in electronic components, and in chemical synthesis,” lists the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services.

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Professor Greaves and her colleagues first identified phosphine on Venus with the help of the James Clerk Maxwell telescope in Hawaii, and then confirmed its presence using the Atacama telescope in Chile.

Phosphine has a distinctive “absorption line” that these radio telescopes perceive at a wavelength of approximately 1 millimeter.

The gas can be observed in mid-latitudes of the planet at approximately 50-60 km altitude.

The concentration is small, they form only 10-20 parts in every billion atmospheric molecules. But in this context, that’s a lot.

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So the team of scientists now wonders how the phosphine got there if there is no animal excrement and less industry to manufacture it.

Along with the details of the phosphine findings on Venus, the astronomers published in the journal Nature astronomy various investigations that have been done to try to show that this molecule could have a natural and non-biological origin.

However, the true reason for the presence of phosphine in the clouds of Venus is still unknown.

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