Photo by Stefano A
Ever saw someone being rescued from fire? Notice that most of them if not disoriented, dizzy, has difficulty breathing, they are also unconscious. This is due to the gas called carbon monoxide. This gas is a colorless, odorless deadly gas. And since we cannot see it, smell or taste it, it could kill us before we even know it’s present in our environment. No one is spared from the risk this gas gives us. Individuals with more oxygen requirements such as unborn babies, infants, children, senior citizens and people with heart and lung problems are at a greater risk.
The great danger of carbon monoxide is its attraction to hemoglobin in the bloodstream. When we breathed in, carbon monoxide replaces the oxygen which our cells need to function. When this gas is present in the air, it rapidly accumulates in the blood, causing symptoms similar to the flu, such as headaches, fatigue, nausea, dizzy spells, confusion, and irritability. As levels increase, vomiting, loss of consciousness, and eventually brain damage or death can result.
Carbon monoxide is the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths in America. This odorless, tasteless, and colorless gas is known as the “Silent Killer.” The Centers for Disease Control estimates that carbon monoxide poisoning claims nearly 500 lives, and causes more than 15,000 visits to hospital emergency departments annually.
Tightly constructed/sealed homes can trap carbon monoxide-polluted air in our home year-round.
Unknown to us, most of our home appliances produce this poisonous gas. When our house is not properly ventilated, the gas these appliances emits build up and we end up consuming the unseen poison. A by-product of combustion, carbon monoxide is present whenever we burn fuel. Exhaust from cars and buses and lawn mowers utilizing gas, also emit carbon monoxide and can enter our home through walls or doorways. Sources of carbon monoxide are: gas water heaters, kerosene space heaters, charcoal grills, propane heaters and stoves, gasoline and diesel powered generators, cigarette smoke, propane-fueled forklifts, gasoline powered concrete saws, indoor tractor pulls, any boat with an engine, spray paint, solvents, degreasers, and paint removers, mooring next to a boat that is running a generator or engine and improper boat ventilation.
All of these sources can contribute to a carbon monoxide problem in our homes. If our home is vented properly and is free from appliance malfunctions, air pressure fluctuations or airway blockages, carbon monoxide will most likely be safely vented to the outside. But in today’s “energy efficient” homes this is frequently not the case. Tightly constructed/sealed homes can trap carbon monoxide-polluted air in our home year-round. Our furnace heat exchangers can crack, vents can become blocked, inadequate air supply for combustion appliances can cause conditions known as backdrafting or reverse stacking, which force contaminated air back into our home. Exhaust fans on range hoods, clothes dryers as well as our simple bathroom fans can also pull combustion products into our home.
Carbon monoxide poisoning symptoms such as headaches, nausea, and fatigue. Since these signs and symptoms are pretty much the same, they are often mistaken for the flu. Prolonged exposure can lead to brain damage and even death.
