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Quick Facts on Carbon Monoxide

Physical Properties:

  • Invisible, odorless and tasteless

  • Results from incomplete burning of fuels

Sources:

  • Unvented kerosene and gas space heaters

  • Leaking chimneys & furnaces

  • Gas water heaters

  • Back drafting from furnaces

  • Wood stoves& fireplaces

  • Gas Stoves

  • Automobile exhaust

  • Tobacco smoke

Health Effects:

  • At low concentrations

  fatigue in healthy people
  chest pain in people with heart disease

  • At higher concentrations

  impaired vision and coordination
  headaches
  dizziness
  confusion and nausea

  • Fatal in concentrations lower than 1 percent.

Levels in Homes:

  • Average levels in homes without gas stoves are between 0.5 and 5 ppm

  • Levels near properly adjusted gas stoves vary between 5 and 15 ppm

  • Levels near poorly adjusted gas stoves may be 30 ppm or higher

Steps to Reduce Exposure:

  • Have professional inspect home furnaces and heating systems annually;

  • Have the chimney and flue cleaned professionally;

  • Open flues when fireplaces are in use;

  • Use proper fuel in kerosene space heaters;

  • Make sure burner flames on furnaces and stoves are blue -- not yellow-orange;

  • Never run an automobile or gas engine in an enclosed space;

  • Discourage or prohibit smoking indoors; and, 

  • Install a carbon monoxide detector.

(Underwriters Laboratories has set a standard (UL 2034) that calls for a detector to sound the alarm before a person would experience a blood concentration of 10% COHb.  Cigarette smoking typically causes a level of about 9%.)

Consumer Hotlines for Carbon Monoxide Questions:

  • Local chapters of the American Lung Association (800/LUNG-USA)

  • The Consumer Product Safety Commission (800/638-CPSC)

  • The American Sensors' Healthy Home Hotline (800/387-4219)