Carbon Monoxide Kills- It's a Fact!
Myths & Facts about CO
Poisoning
information courtesy First Alert
(CO Detectors)
Carbon monoxide
isn't a big problem.
Carbon monoxide is the leading cause
of poisoning death in the country, responsible for 1,500
accidental deaths and over 10,000 illnesses each year.
Carbon monoxide has an odor.
Carbon monoxide is odorless,
colorless, and tasteless. It can kill you before you even
know it's there.
Natural gas contains carbon monoxide.
Natural gas does not contain CO- CO
is a by-product of combustion, present whenever any fuel
is burned.
New homes are safe from carbon
monoxide problems.
New homes are sometimes at greater
risk than older homes due to energy-efficient
construction that traps CO inside the home and does not
allow fresh air in.
Carbon monoxide only comes from car
exhaust.
CO is present in car exhaust fumes,
but it is also produced by many common home appliances
such as gas or oil furnaces, water heaters, space
heaters, refrigerators or clothes dryers. Attached
garages, barbecue grills, fireplaces, wood-burning stoves
and gas ovens are other possible sources.
CO isn't emitted from a fireplace.
Fireplaces do produce carbon monoxide
and CO can be forced back down into the home if a chimney
is obstructed in any way or if the outside air pressure
is higher than the air pressure in the home, causing a
downdraft.
Your body builds up an immunity to
carbon monoxide after prolonged low level exposure.
Unlike exposure to diseases like
chicken pox and the measles, your body will not build up
an immunity to carbon monoxide, even after chronic low
level exposure. The body can produce antibodies to fight
off diseases after exposure, not gases.
Carbon monoxide from charcoal
smoldering indoors won't hurt you.
CO from smoldering charcoal can hurt
or kill you. 75% of charcoal grills emit dangerous levels
of CO (200 parts per million or above). Never, ever
operate a charcoal grill indoors.
It's OK to warm up your car in the
garage with the door closed if it's only for a few
minutes.
It is NOT OK to warm up your car in a
closed garage. CO can build up quickly. Always leave the
garage door open and be sure the tail pipe is vented to
the outside. Keep entry doors to home closed.
Once you remove the source of CO from
an enclosed area it dissipates immediately.
CO in an enclosed area will not
dissipate immediately. CO is approximately the same
weight as air and mixes in with the oxygen we breathe.
Stay away from the contaminated area for a while until
the fire department or safety & health officials say
it's OK.
Only high level exposures to carbon
monoxide are harmful.
Low levels of CO have been shown to
cause various health problems, including nausea, dizzy
spells, vomiting, headaches, diarrhea, fatigue, and
sexual dysfunctions. Certain populations such as unborn
babies, young children, the elderly and anyone with
cardiac or respiratory problems are at increased risk.
If you are exposed to
carbon monoxide, all you have to do is breathe fresh air
and it will immediately leave your system.
Carbon monoxide does not leave your
system immediately. It has a half life and can take twice
as long to leave your body as it did to accumulate.
If you don't feel sick, you are OK.
Carbon monoxide is non-irritating. It
can build up in your body without causing you any pain or
sickness.
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