The story comes from a famous fertilizer plant, where a popular saying once circulated: "I wouldn't trade my job in the desulfurization workshop even for the position of county magistrate." A key step in fertilizer production is ammonia synthesis, which requires nitrogen and Hydrogen as raw materials; the nitrogen is sourced from the air.

Hydrogen is produced through a high-temperature reduction reaction between coal (carbon) and water, yielding carbon monoxide and hydrogen; the carbon monoxide then reacts further with water to generate additional hydrogen. This process takes place in the gas production workshop; due to the presence of high concentrations of carbon monoxide, any leakage poses a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Additionally, since the coal contains sulfur, a desulfurization workshop is required—essentially a hydrogen purification stage. Work in this section is relatively simple and undemanding, though the presence of sulfur-containing gases results in an unpleasant odor.

At the time, there was a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning in the biogas workshop, often affecting multiple workers simultaneously. The outcomes varied: some workers died, others were unaffected, and some developed sequelae (specifically, delayed encephalopathy following carbon monoxide poisoning). Due to the complex nature and high physical demands of the work in the biogas workshop, those suffering from such aftereffects were unable to perform their duties and required reassignment to different roles.

The work assignments fell into two categories: the desulfurization workshop and administrative offices. After about a year, a surprising result emerged: the majority of patients assigned to the desulfurization workshop recovered, whereas those in administrative roles were not as fortunate—most did not recover, and some even saw their conditions deteriorate further. This gave rise to a popular saying: "I wouldn't trade the desulfurization workshop job for a county magistrate's post." This story offers a compelling clue: inhaling hydrogen-rich gas has significant therapeutic benefits for patients with nervous system damage, particularly those suffering from this type of brain disorder. Hydrogen was the primary gas leaking in that workshop—the unpleasant odor confirmed the presence of leaks, and the gas's composition indicated that hydrogen was the key component.

Green Hydrogen is the smallest molecule in nature; biologists long mistakenly believed it to be a physiologically inert gas incapable of reacting with substances within living organisms. In the field of diving medicine, however, the use of high-pressure hydrogen as a breathing medium represents an advanced diving technology; notably, the world record for the greatest diving depth (700 meters) was achieved using a hydrogen-oxygen breathing mixture.

Hydrogen Gas is the smallest molecule in nature; biologists long mistakenly believed it to be a physiologically inert gas incapable of reacting with substances within living organisms. In the field of diving medicine, however, the use of high-pressure hydrogen as a breathing medium represents an advanced diving technology; notably, the world record for the greatest diving depth (700 meters) was achieved using a hydrogen-oxygen breathing mixture.

Using an *in vivo* rat model of middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion injury, researchers found that inhaling a small amount of hydrogen gas (2% for 35 minutes) effectively reduced levels of oxidative damage end-products in the brain, significantly decreased cerebral infarct volume following ischemia, and inhibited microglial proliferation. The therapeutic efficacy was comparable to that of the immunosuppressant FK-506 and markedly superior to edaravone, currently the only clinically approved antioxidant drug for this condition.

The publication of this report immediately garnered significant attention from scholars both at home and abroad; the biological activity of hydrogen and its role in the prevention and treatment of various diseases rapidly became a hot topic of research, with scholars subsequently discovering its therapeutic effects on a wide range of other conditions.For instance, hydrogen gas demonstrates significant preventive and therapeutic effects against conditions such as radiation injury, organ ischemia, atherosclerosis, liver cirrhosis, oxygen toxicity, diabetes, organ and systemic inflammation, trauma, Parkinson's disease, senile dementia, carbon monoxide poisoning, and paraquat poisoning in experimental animals, showing broad prospects for research and development in the field of biomedicine.

However, the vast majority of current research focuses on observing the phenomena associated with hydrogen's role in preventing and treating diseases, while the study of its underlying mechanisms remains in its infancy. Current understanding is largely based on hydrogen's antioxidant properties—which subsequently exert anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects—yet many observed phenomena remain unexplained. As research into these mechanisms deepens, it is highly likely that other significant, yet-to-be-discovered functions will be revealed. It is anticipated that further important discoveries regarding the therapeutic potential of hydrogen will emerge; given that existing studies have shown no toxic side effects in the body, and subject to confirmation through comprehensive toxicological evaluation, hydrogen holds great promise for widespread clinical application.