Occupational Health and Safety limit for healthy workers is 50 ppm. Exceeding the EPA concentration of 9 ppm for more than 8 hours is suspected to produce adverse health affects in persons at risk. At low concentrations it will require a longer period of time to affect the body.
High concentrations of carbon monoxide kill in less than five minutes. Physical, non-reversible damage can occur. This makes even small amounts of carbon monoxide dangerous. The brain and heart require large amounts of oxygen and quickly suffer from any oxygen shortage. The attraction of CO and hemoglobin is approximately 250 times greater than the attraction between oxygen and hemoglobin. When CO is inhaled, it bonds with hemoglobin, displacing oxygen and forming carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) resulting in a lack of oxygen to the body cells. Because the symptoms mimic so many illnesses, it is often misdiagnosed. Continued exposure can lead to vomiting, loss of consciousness, brain damage, heart irregularity, breathing difficulties, muscle weakness, abortions and even death. What are the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning?Ĭarbon monoxide symptoms mimic the flu: headaches, fatigue, nausea, dizziness, confusion, and irritability. Wood, coal, and charcoal fires always produce carbon monoxide, as do gasoline engines. Anything which disrupts the burning process or results in a shortage of oxygen can increase carbon monoxide production. In properly installed and maintained appliances gas burns clean and produces only small amounts of carbon monoxide. During incomplete combustion, the carbon and hydrogen combine to form carbon dioxide, water, heat, and deadly carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is slightly lighter than air and quickly spreads throughout an entire house.Ĭarbon monoxide gas is produced when fossil fuel burns incompletely because of insufficient oxygen. of Agricultural and Biosystems EngineeringĬarbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, deadly gas.
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