What carbon monoxide is
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a gas made whenever fuel burns without enough oxygen: natural gas, propane, oil, gasoline, wood, charcoal or kerosene. You cannot see it, smell it or taste it, and it gives no warning before it makes you ill.
Once breathed in, carbon monoxide binds to hemoglobin, the part of the blood that carries oxygen, more than 200 times more strongly than oxygen does. The result is carboxyhemoglobin (COHb), and the body’s organs, especially the brain and heart, are starved of oxygen.
The scale of the problem
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning not linked to fires causes, every year in the United States:
Source: CDC, carbon monoxide poisoning basics. Figures to be re-checked at launch.
Experts agree these numbers understate the problem, because many exposures are never recognized as carbon monoxide at all.
Where it comes from
- Heating: furnaces, boilers, space heaters, fireplaces and wood stoves.
- Hot water and cooking: water heaters, gas ranges and ovens.
- Engines: cars and trucks, generators, boats, lawn equipment and power tools.
- Misuse: charcoal grills or camp stoves used indoors or in tents.
- Blocked venting: chimneys and flues obstructed by debris, nests or snow.
Fuel that is burned inefficiently will produce carbon monoxide. This could endanger your life, or even impair your health permanently.
Who is most at risk
Anyone can be poisoned, but some people are affected sooner and more severely:
- Unborn babies, infants and young children.
- Older adults.
- People with heart disease, anemia or breathing problems.
- People who are asleep or intoxicated, who may not notice symptoms at all.
When it peaks
Poisonings rise in the colder months, when heating systems run hardest and windows stay shut, and after storms and power cuts, when portable generators come out. A working carbon monoxide alarm on every level of the home is the single most important protection.