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1$\begingroup$ Note, though, that in order to have a useable hydrogen atmosphere it's necessary that there be no other gases, such as nitrogen. If this happens, the hydrogen will gravitationally separate, and the lower reaches of the atmosphere will be made of anything but hydrogen. $\endgroup$– WhatRoughBeastCommented Nov 10, 2015 at 4:17
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1$\begingroup$ Also I suppose they would "exhale" methane. $\endgroup$– Night_FoxCommented Nov 10, 2015 at 4:40
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1$\begingroup$ Instead of low temperature, you may use high pressure. Data give boiling point 98.3°C at 45600 mmHg (60 atm). $\endgroup$– BartekChomCommented Nov 10, 2015 at 5:28
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1$\begingroup$ Water would be a waste product and not necessarily a toxin (although it might be a toxin). Sort of like how $CO_2$ is for humans. If this was a low temperature environment, the critters would excrete solid water though - imagine pooping ice cubes! I was also thinking that it might make more sense for the critters to breath methane than hydrogen. $\endgroup$– Jim2BCommented Nov 10, 2015 at 17:55
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1$\begingroup$ @Night_Fox The Sabatier reaction actually releases energy at any sort of normal biological temperatures. The only reason it requires a hot catalyst is that it has a very activation energy. Basically, it's extremely difficult to get started, but does result in a net release of energy. The products would be water and methane; I figured that the methane could then be used for biological purposes, as a basic building block for organic molecules. The water would likely be waste, toxic or not. There are reactions that can occur in liquid ammonia that would be ruined by water (water = poison.) $\endgroup$– Jason PattersonCommented Nov 10, 2015 at 23:16
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