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Sources of Indoor Air Pollution - Carbon Monoxide (CO)
Definition
Colorless gas or liquid; practically odorless. Burns with a
violet flame. Slightly soluble in water; soluble in alcohol and
benzene. Specific gravity 0.96716; boiling point -190oC;
solidification point -207oC; specific volume 13.8 cu. ft./lb.
(70oF). Auto ignition temperature (liquid) 1128oF.
Classed as an inorganic compound.
Source: "The Condensed Chemical Dictionary," 9th ed., revised by Gessner
G. Hawley, Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., NY, 1977.
Sources of Carbon Monoxide
Unvented kerosene and gas space heaters; leaking chimneys and furnaces; back-drafting from furnaces, gas water
heaters, wood stoves, and fireplaces; gas stoves; generators and other gasoline powered equipment; automobile
exhaust from attached garages; and tobacco smoke.
Health Effects Associated with Carbon
Monoxide
At low
concentrations, fatigue in healthy people and chest pain in people with
heart disease. At higher concentrations, impaired vision and coordination;
headaches; dizziness; confusion; nausea. Can cause flu-like symptoms that
clear up after leaving home. Fatal at very high concentrations.
Levels in Homes
Average levels in
homes without gas stoves vary from 0.5 to 5 parts per million (ppm).
Levels near properly adjusted gas stoves are often 5 to 15 ppm and those
near poorly adjusted stoves may be 30 ppm or higher.
Steps to Reduce Exposure to Carbon Monoxide
- Keep gas appliances properly adjusted.
- Consider purchasing a vented space
heater when replacing an unvented one.
- Use proper fuel in kerosene space
heaters.
- Install and use an exhaust fan vented to
outdoors over gas stoves.
- Open flues when fireplaces are in use.
- Choose properly sized wood stoves that
are certified to meet EPA emission standards. Make certain that doors
on all wood stoves fit tightly.
- Have a trained professional inspect,
clean, and tune-up central heating system (furnaces, flues, and
chimneys) annually. Repair any leaks promptly.
- Do not idle the car inside garage.
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Carbon Monoxide - from the IAQ Tools for Schools Kit - IAQ Coordinator's Guide
www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/tfs/guidee.html
Description |
Sources |
Standards
or Guidelines |
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless,
and tasteless gas. It results from incomplete oxidation of carbon in combustion. |
Incomplete oxidation during combustion in gas
ranges and unvented gas or kerosene heaters may cause high concentrations of
CO in indoor air. Worn or poorly adjusted and maintained combustion
devices (e.g., boilers, furnaces) can be significant sources, or if the flue
is improperly sized, blocked, disconnected, or is leaking. Auto,
truck, or bus exhaust from attached garages, nearby roads, or parking areas
can also be a source. |
No standards for CO have been agreed upon for
indoor air. The U.S. National Ambient Air Quality Standards for
outdoor air are 9 ppm (40,000 micrograms per meter cubed) for 8 hours, and
35 ppm for 1 hour. |
Health
Effects |
Measurement Methods |
Control
Measures |
Acute effects are due to the formation of
carboxyhemoglobin in the blood, which inhibits oxygen intake. At
moderate concentrations, angina, impaired vision, and reduced brain function
may result. At higher concentrations, CO exposure can be fatal. |
Some relatively high-cost infrared radiation
adsorption and electrochemical instruments do exist. Moderately priced
real-time measuring devices are also available. A passive monitor is
currently under development. |
It is most important to be sure combustion
equipment is maintained and properly adjusted. Vehicular use should be
carefully managed adjacent to buildings and in vocational programs.
Additional ventilation can be used as a temporary measure when high levels
of CO are expected for short periods of time. |
Additional Resources
Links
Office of Air and Radiation page -
"CO - How Carbon
Monoxide Affects the Way We Live and Breathe"
Office of Research and Development:
-
Carbon Monoxide and the Nervous System. Raub, J. A., and V. A.
Benignus. Carbon Monoxide and the Nervous System. NEUROSCIENCE AND
BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS 26(8):925-940, (2002).
-
Carbon Monoxide Poisoining - A Public Health Perspective. Raub,
J. A., M. Mathieunolf, N. B. Hampson, and S. R. Thom. Carbon Monoxide
Poinsoning--a Public Health Perspective. TOXICOLOGY (145):1-14, (2000).
-
Revised Evaluation of Health Effects Associated With Carbon Monoxide
Exposure: An Addendum to the 1979 EPA Air Quality Criteria Document for
Carbon Monoxide Benignus, V., L. Grant, D. Mckee, and J. Raub.
Revised Evaluation of Health Effects Associated With Carbon Monoxide
Exposure: An Addendum to the 1979 EPA Air Quality Criteria Document for
Carbon Monoxide. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C.,
EPA/600/8-83/033F (NTIS PB85103471).
National Center for Environmental Health
Air and Respiratory Health Branch
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
"Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Fact Sheet" (in English and Spanish) -
www.cdc.gov/nceh/airpollution/carbonmonoxide/cofaq.htm
"Checklist for Prevention of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning"
www.cdc.gov/nceh/airpollution/carbonmonoxide/checklist.htm
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission,
Office of Information and Public Affairs,
Washington, D.C. 20207
Carbon Monoxide
Questions and Answers (CPSC document #466)
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission protects the public from the unreasonable risk of injury or death from 15,000 types of
consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, you can go to CPSC's forms page -
www.cpsc.gov/talk.html
and use the first on-line form on that page. Or, you can call CPSC's hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270, or send the information to info@cpsc.gov.
"Your Home Fire Safety Checklist" (www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/556.html
)
- CPSC
American Lung Association Fact Sheet on Carbon Monoxide
www.lungusa.org/air/carbon_factsheet99.html
Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Fact Sheet on Carbon
Monoxide (a pdf file) -
www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_General_Facts/carbonmonoxide-factsheet.pdf
"Carbon Monoxide Poisoning"
www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/carbonmonoxidepoisoning.html
Medline Plus Health Topics, a service of the U.S. National National
Library of Medicine and the National Institute of Health
About Carbon Monoxide Detectors:
Underwriters' Laboratory - Product Safety Tips - Carbon Monoxide Alarms
-
www.ul.com/consumers/co.html
About Your House -
Carbon Monoxide, Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)
www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/burema/gesein/abhose/abhose_ce25.cfm
About.com "What You Need to Know about Carbon Monoxide Detectors"
www.chemistry.about.com/library/weekly/aa092202a.htm
CPSC Recommends Carbon Monoxide Alarm for Every Home (January 18,
2001 CPSC Release # 01-069)
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety
Commission (CPSC) recommends that every home should have a carbon monoxide (CO) alarm. CPSC also urges consumers to have a
professional inspection of all fuel- burning appliances -- including furnaces, stoves, fireplaces, clothes dryers, water heaters, and space
heaters -- to detect deadly carbon monoxide leaks. CPSC recommends that every home should have at least one CO alarm that meets the
requirements of the most recent Underwriters Laboratories (UL) 2034 standard or International Approval Services 6-96 standard.
www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml01/01069.html
U.S. Coast Guard Boating Safety warning:
www.uscgboating.org/news/boatingview.aspx?id=22
Publications/Resources
Protect Your
Family and Yourself from Carbon Monoxide Poisoning, October 1996
(402-F-96-005)
Discusses health hazards associated with
exposure to carbon monoxide (CO), a colorless, odorless gas which can
cause headaches, dizziness, nausea, faintness, and, at high levels,
death. Provides guidance on what to do if you think you are suffering
from CO poisoning and what to do to prevent exposure to CO. Also
included is a brief discussion about carbon monoxide detectors.
Proteja su vida y la de su familia
evitando el envenenamiento con monóxido de carbono (ref. # 402-F-97-004)
This fact sheet has also been translated
into Vietnamese (ref. # 402-F-96-005C), Chinese (ref. #
402-F-96-005A), and Korean (ref. # 402-F-96-005B). To get copies of
any of these, contact IAQINFO at 1-800-438-4318.
ALERT!!
Preventing Carbon Monoxide Poisoning from Small Gasoline-Powered Engines
and Tools. (1996)
This joint alert from NIOSH, CDPHE, CPSC,
OSHA and EPA warns that people using gasoline-powered tools such as
high-pressure washers, concrete cutting saws (walk-behind/hand-held),
power trowels, floor buffers, welders, pumps, compressors, and
generators in buildings or semi-enclosed spaces have been poisoned by
Carbon Monoxide. Recommendations for preventing CO poisoning are
provided for employers, equipment users, tool rental agencies, and tool
manufacturers.
Single copies of the Alert [DHHS (NIOSH)
Publication No. 96-118] are available for free from: Publication
Dissemination, IED, National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health; 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati, OH 45226
fax number: (513) 533-8573, phone number: 1-800-35-NIOSH
(1-800-356-4674)
e-mail: pubstaft@niosdt1.em.cdc.gov
The
"Senseless" Killer, 1993
Prepared by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety
Commission, this leaflet describes symptoms of carbon monoxide
poisoning, sources of carbon monoxide in the home, and actions that can
reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
What You
Should Know About Combustion Appliances and Indoor Air Pollution, 1993
(400-F-91-100)
This brochure was prepared by the U.S. Consumer
Product Safety Commission, the American Lung Association, and the EPA
and answers commonly-asked questions about the effect of combustion
appliances (e.g., fuel-burning furnaces, space heaters, kitchen ranges,
and fireplaces) on indoor air quality and human health. It describes
other sources of combustion pollutants in and around the home and it
suggests ways to reduce exposure to such pollutants and encourages
proper installation, use, and maintenance of combustion appliances.
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