Hazards & Nuisances
Although, static electricity is generally not harmful to the human body, there are a couple instances where static electricity can cause some real damage. The first and most obvious is lightning. Thousands of people get struck by lightning every. Lightning is the most powerful type of static electricity release because the clouds and the earth are both very large so they can both carry a lot of protons and electrons.
A second, and increasing, hazard of static electricity is the spark created when the negative electrons are expelled. This has become and increasing problem at gas stations due to cell phones, gas cans, and other wireless devices. These devices can produce sparks from static electricity that can ignite gas fumes and cause an explosion.
Other common nuisances that are caused by static electricity include:
* Static Cling
* Flyaway Hair
