Polk Township Vol. Fire Dept.

Carbon Monoxide - The Silent Killer!


With such a harsh Winter here again, our home furnaces are working extra hard to keep us warm. But this should remind you that there could be a 'silent killer' in your midst. Carbon Monoxide, known by the chemical formula 'CO' is a poisonous gas that kills more than 250 people in the U.S. alone each year. You can't hear, taste, see or smell it. It's nicknamed the 'silent killer' because it sneaks up on its victims and can take lives without warning.

CO is a byproduct of incomplete combustion. CO sources can include malfunctioning appliances--including furnaces, stoves, ovens, water heaters--that operate by burning fossil fuels such as natural gas, LP gas, oil, wood or coal. When malfunctioning appliances aren't adequately ventilated, the level of CO may rise high enough to cause illness or even death. Automobile and lawn mower exhaust fumes and charcoal grills are other potential CO sources.

How CO affects you

CO suffocates its victims by reducing the amount of oxygen in the bloodstream. When a victim inhales CO, it enters the bloodstream and replaces the oxygen molecules found on hemoglobin, depriving the heart and brain of necessary oxygen. Sensing the body's need for more oxygen, the victims heart rate increases to pump more blood to the body's organs.

CO exposures especially affect unborn babies, infants and people with anemia or a history of heart disease.

Breathing low levels of CO can cause fatigue and increase chest pain in people with chronic heart disease. Breathing higher levels of CO causes flu-like symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, and weakness in healthy people. CO also causes sleepiness, nausea, vomiting, confusion and disorientation. At very high levels, it causes loss of conciousness and death.

Signs of CO

Be alerted to these danger signs that may signal a potential CO problem:

Streaks of carbon or soot around appliance service doors

Absence of draft in chimney (indicates a blockage)

Excessive rusting on flue pipes or appliance jackets

Fallen soot from a fireplace

Protecting your family from CO

Make sure appliances are installed and working to manufacturers' instructions

Have your fuel-burning appliances inspected and cleaned by a qualified technician at least once a year

Do not use ovens and gas ranges to heat your home

Do not use charcoal inside a home, cabin, recreational vehicle or camper

Do not operate gasoline-powered engines in confined spaces like basements or garages

Never leave your car or mower running in a closed garage

Make sure your furnace has adequate intake of outside air

Choose vented appliances whenever possible

Install a CO detector with an audible alarm in your home and garage

Use kerosene space heaters and unvented gas heaters only in well ventilated rooms

Don't become a CO statistic

Your most important weapon against CO poisoning is prevention; with a touch of common sense. A properly installed CO detector is the only tool to alert your family of a threat. The detector should have the UL Mark. They are designed to detect elevated levels of CO and sound an alarm (very important while you and your loved ones sleep).

Back to Archives   Back to Polk Fire Home Page

John D. EinhornSources: ALA