How long does it take spilled gas to evaporate?

The answer to that question is: It depends!

Gas molecules evaporate when they reach the air, which implies there has to be air somewhere in the path of the gas. This can sometimes pose problems considering some spills take place underwater or at very high altitudes or even in the vacuum of space.

Air pressure, temperature, and humidity are all factors that can influence how quickly gas molecules evaporate into water vapor. The wind speed also plays a role but since the spills are unknown, it is unknown what effect there would be.

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Under normal conditions, air will absorb about 7% of its volume of gas over one hour. For instance, it takes about one year for a liter of spilled gasoline to completely evaporate under normal conditions.

So how long does it take spilled gas to evaporate?

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Gas can take three to six months to evaporate under normal conditions. This is because it takes about six months for the gas molecules to mix well with air and absorb enough moisture to evaporate. In highly humid locations, however, this time period can be cut down significantly since the humidity of the air aids evaporation by increasing the absorption

The wind speed also plays a role in how quickly leaked gas can evaporate. In a study conducted by the Department of Energy, it was shown that leakage from underground storage facilities (such as tanks and pipes) can leak up to 50% more gas in windy conditions than it would have there not been any wind.

Combine this with how quickly gasoline blends with air or absorbs moisture, and you get a good idea of how long it takes for the gasoline to evaporate.

Factors that affect evaporation are wind speed, humidity, and gasoline blend. The higher the wind speed or the low the humidity, or any combination of both will increase evaporation time since there is more airflow to carry moisture away from the leakage site or because there is less atmosphere to hold water vapor.