Carbon
Monoxide
|
 |
| Carbon
Monoxide
|
|
By Una Mullan (Y11 Ta 2002)
This
gas has a formula of CO as it has a chemical compound of Carbon and Oxygen.
Carbon Monoxide is an odourless and tasteless gas, which is dangerous as
we can never be sure of its whereabouts. It
is also about 3% lighter than air, it is insoluble in water, and it has a
boiling point of –191.5°C and a melting point of -205°C.
Carbon Monoxide is released into the air whenever the element of carbon
or substances that contain carbon are heated or burned in an insufficient supply
of oxygen. If these
substances are heated or burned in a sufficient supply of oxygen then Carbon
Dioxide would be produced. The
symbol for this is CO˛. This is
completely harmless as we breathe it in and out everyday.
Carbon Monoxide is one of many poisonous
gases and it is very harmful towards warm-blooded animals especially. The effects, which it has on us humans, vary from mild
headaches, nausea, fatigue, asthma, acute Carbon monoxide poisoning to complete
unconsciousness.
Acute Carbon Monoxide poisoning is extremely
dangerous. This is when a body
breathes in Carbon Monoxide and the haemoglobin (carriers of Oxygen) of that
person “mistakes” it for oxygen as both Carbon Monoxide and Oxygen are gases
consisting of diatomic molecules.
Deoxyhaemoglobin <-------------------> Oxyhaemoglobin
This reaction between Carbon Monoxide and the
Haemoglobin is irreversible. So usually the haemoglobin would pick up oxygen in
the lungs and transport it to cells. Then
carrying Carbon Dioxide back to the lungs and so this pattern repeats as a
person respires. But once this
reaction takes place the haemoglobin becomes used up so the person can’t get
Oxygen to their cells and they suffocates to death.
A person can still die after exposure to
Carbon Monoxide even if they are given pure Oxygen.
This is so, as it is not the lack of oxygen which that person is
receiving, but the lack of
Even if 1/1000
of 1% of the air consists of carbon Monoxide
then there can be some symptoms of poisoning made.
Also about 85% of the carbon Monoxide in the air is due to vehicles.
As well as that according to the American Medical Association there is
approximately 2,100 unintentional deaths from CO every year.
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Carbon monoxide is present in the inhaled smoke from a cigarette. It is picked up by the blood much more readily than oxygen. So, when carbon monoxide is present, there is less 'room' for oxygen in the blood. The oxygen carrying capacity of a smoker's blood can be cut by up to 15%. This means that the heart has to work much harder to get enough oxygen all around the body. |
| A
simple and cheap CO alarm can save lives. Click on the picture to
enlarge it |
 |
One way
in which people try to control the
amount of Carbon Monoxide being released into the air is by having all modern cars
fitted with a Catalytic Converter. This device helps to filter the harmful emissions that
vehicles produce.
Click here to see the position of a Catalytic Converter on a Car.
Follow this link to find out how catalytic converter work.
Smoke from an Electricity Power Plant.
Chart To show effect of CO according to length of
time you
are exposed to it and what its concentration is.
Click here to see Levels of Carbon Monoxide compared in different UK Cities.
I got my information from Infopedia which is a CD and I got information from the website www.nadi.com.
