Carbon Monoxide, CO Carbon monoxide is a
colorless,
odorless, and
tasteless gas (don't ever try tasting it).
It is the
product of the incomplete combustion of carbon-containing compounds and it
burns in air with a blue flame, to produce carbon dioxide. People usually think of cars when carbon monoxide comes to mind, as it is being released when a car is driven.
CO consists of
a carbon atom covalently bonded to a oxygen atom (see the picture at the end of this post!)
It is also a
gas at room temperature.
CO also has a
melting point of -205 °C and
boiling point of -192 °C.
In the Atmosphere
Carbon monoxide is thought of as a pollutant nowadays.
It is
present in the atmosphere as a product of volcanic activity (erupting volcano)
Through natural processes in the atmosphere, CO is finally oxidized to CO2, carbon dioxide. Thus,
CO concentrations in the atmosphere are short-lived and variable.
DO YOU KNOW: Natural emissions of carbon monoxide have been difficult to measure as the natural sources of this gas have varied from year to year. But some sources of carbon monoxide come from the frequent forest fires (when insufficient fresh air reaches the fire, the combustion is incomplete and CO is formed).Health effectsCarbon monoxide is
poisonous.
Thus, it is extremely dangerous as it is colourless and odorless, thus you cannot
detect its presence.
Thus, people had been using carbon monoxide poisoning as a suicide method. Via the car exhaust, they trap themselves in cars and die of the poison.
(DO NOT TRY IT! IT’S NOT FUN.) Carbon monoxide is
life threatening. A concentration of as little as 0.04% of it in the air can be fatal.
The effects of Carbon Monoxide in percentages are listed below:0.0035%: Headache and dizziness within six to eight hours of constant exposure
0.01%: Slight headache in two to three hours
0.02%: Slight headache within two to three hours
0.04%: Frontal headache within one to two hours
0.08%: Dizziness, nausea, and convulsions within 45 minutes. Insensible within two hours.
0.16%: Headache, dizziness, and nausea within 20 minutes. Death in less than two hours.
0.32%: Headache, dizziness and nausea in five to ten minutes. Death within 30 minutes.
0.64%: Headache and dizziness in one to two minutes. Death in less than 20 minutes.
1.28%: Unconciousness after 2-3 breaths.
Death in less than three minutes. DO YOU KNOW: One reaction in the body produces CO. Carbon monoxide is produced naturally as a breakdown of haemoglobin. (biology students should know! :D)Ways to reduce amount of CO:1. Take
more public transport and drive
less cars. Thus amount of CO released will be
reduced.2.
Avoid slow-burning, smoldering
fires which will cause CO gas to be released.
3. Do not operate a fuel-fired space heater
in an enclosed space, such as a closed room.
