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Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Facts
What Is Carbon Monoxide?
Carbon monoxide (also referred to as CO) is a potentially lethal gas that can cause sudden illness and death. Because you can't see, taste or smell it, it can affect you and your family before you even realize it's there.
When carbon monoxide builds up in enclosed or semi-enclosed spaces, people and animals in these spaces can be poisoned by breathing it. Even at low levels of exposure, carbon monoxide can cause serious health problems
Where does Carbon Monoxide come from?
Carbon monoxide is a common by-product of burning fossil fuels. Most fuel-burning equipment (natural gas, propane and oil), if properly installed, maintained and vented produces little CO. However, if anything disrupts the venting process (such as a bird's nest in the chimney) or results in a shortage of oxygen to the burner, CO production can quickly rise to dangerous levels.
Carbon Monoxide is found in combustion fumes, such as those produced by:
- Cars and trucks
- Stoves
- Gas ranges
- Small gasoline engines
- Heating systems
- Burning wood and charcoal
How can it be prevented?
- Install a CO detector in your home and place it in an area where you will hear it if you are sleeping.
- Inspect furnaces, water heaters, and gas dryers annually by a qualified service technician.
- Inspect and clean fireplace chimneys and flues every year.
- Make sure un-vented fuel-burning space heaters are used only while someone is awake to monitor them and doors or windows in the room are open to provide fresh air;
- Routinely inspect automobile exhaust for defects.
- Check automobile tailpipes for blockage by snow during the winter months.
What are the symptoms of Carbon Monoxide poisoning?
- Headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion.
- High levels of carbon monoxide ingestion can cause loss of consciousness and death.
- Unless suspected, carbon monoxide poisoning can be difficult to diagnose because the symptoms mimic other illnesses.
How do you get poisoned?
Red blood cells pick up CO quicker than they pick up oxygen. If there is a lot of CO in the air, your body will replace the oxygen in your blood with carbon monoxide and block vital oxygen from getting into your body where it is needed to sustain life. Knowing where CO is found and how to avoid it can protect you from serious injury or death.
Can It Be Prevented?
Follow these guidelines to help prevent threats from carbon monoxide poisoning:
- All fuel-burning appliances are properly installed, maintained, and operated;
- Furnaces, water heaters, and gas dryers are inspected annually by a qualified service technician;
- Fireplace chimneys and flues are checked and cleaned every year;
- Unvented fuel-burning space heaters are used only while someone is awake to monitor
- Automobile exhaust systems are routinely inspected for defects; and
- Automobile tailpipes are routinely inspected for blockage by snow during the winter months.
Page last updated:
June 7, 2006
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