Carbon Monoxide: Keeping Safe

[hausdok]

by Mary Maclay, Quantum Fields LLC

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, highly-poisonous gas formed by the incomplete combustion of carbon or a carbonaceous material, such as gasoline. Some producers of carbon monoxide (CO) are industrial processes, heating equipment, accidental fire, cigarettes and the internal combustion engine. Generators, candles, and space heaters can all create CO emissions.

CO is always produced when natural gas, liquid propane, oil, coal, gasoline or wood are burned; often at dangerous levels. Exhaust gases need to be vented properly to avoid CO accumulation in any living space. If the combustion takes place with excess oxygen in a properly tuned burner, not much CO is produced but improper adjustment or any smoldering fire can produce significant CO emissions.

How much is too much?

There are many standards for CO exposure limits. The OSHA standard is 50 parts per million (PPM) in the air as a maximum exposure in the workplace. One PPM is defined as one CO molecule in one million molecules of air. This is about the same dilution as one shot glass of gin in a railroad tanker car full of tonic.

The majority of off-the-shelf home CO detectors are designed to alarm at 100 PPM and above, to satisfy current laws concerning home CO alarms. A few home CO meters have digital readouts to show lower levels but they will not alarm at these lower levels.

The American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) lists a maximum allowable short term limit of nine PPM of CO. The EPA has set two national health protection standards for CO: a one-hour standard of 35 PPM and an eight-hour standard of nine PPM. From the above standards and guidelines it follows that any CO reading over nine PPM should be investigated and acted upon.

Health Effects

Low-level exposure can cause chronic health conditions from cardiovascular disease to a Parkinson’s like illness. The following is an excerpt from the EPA: “The health threat from lower levels of CO is most serious for those who suffer from heart disease, like angina, clogged arteries or congestive heart failure. For a person with heart disease, a single exposure to CO at low levels may cause chest pain and reduce that person's ability to exercise; repeated exposures may contribute to other cardiovascular effects. Even healthy people can be affected by high levels of CO. People who breathe high levels of CO can develop vision problems, reduced ability to work or learn, reduced manual dexterity and difficulty performing complex tasks. At extremely high levels, CO is poisonous and can cause death. CO contributes to the formation of smog ground level ozone, which can trigger serious respiratory problems.â€

[hausdok]

Quantumfields is currently offering a reduced price for home inspectors on their Pocket CO detector. To learn more, www.transducertech.com.

OT - OF!!!

M.

[Jim Katen]

"Molecules of air"

????!!!!!?????

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[Chad Fabry]

This is about the same dilution as one shot glass of gin in a railroad tanker car full of tonic.

A million shots of gin = 1041 cu ft or so, that's 7,812.5 gallons. About 1/4 of a tanker car. A more accurate description would be a shot of gin in a truck that delivers gasoline. They're about 8,000 gallons.

Molecules of air....tanker car...who's this guy think he's talking to?

[ozofprev]

Originally posted by Jim Katen

"Molecules of air"

????!!!!!?????

- Jim Katen, Oregon

Not accurate (and slightly amusing), but for an average home inspector it is probably as meaningful as a "by volume" calculation.

Oh, I just saw your gin calculations Chad. I like it, but liquids are quite different from gas (you know, I know).

[mmaclay]

Thanks for the comments.

A million molecules of air is a simplified way of saying about 200,000 molecules of oxygen and 800,000 molecules of nitrogen (neglecting minor constituents in air) .

The article should have read

"One PPM CO is defined as one CO molecule in one million molecules in air."

Another way to look at the tanker car is 1 shot of cyanide in a

tanker of milk.

For a discount on Pocket CO visit www.quantumfields.com/homeinspector.html

M. Maclay

[Brian G]

I agree that most cheapo CO detectors are only good for catastrophic levels, but most of the specs I've read fall into the 70 PPM alarm range, not 100 PPM. A few available locally get down as far as 35 or so, but I believe that's still way too high.

For homes with kids, pets, elderly, or respiratory patients, it definitely too high. Chronic low-level CO poisoning, at concentrations well below the cheapo alarm level, can cause serious health problems for those whose bodies are less able to deal with it. I always recommend this one for my clients; it's the best one I know of at any price.

http://www.aeromedix.com/product-exec/p ... Model_1070

I've had one in my gas-appliance-filled home for years. It works, it's very accurate, and a battery last a long, long time in one. It starts alarming at 10 PPM, and gets more insistent as the level goes up. It's real protection, all day every day. Please recommend these to your clients.

Brian G.

CO Might Kill Them; Spending $130 Won't [:-thumbu]