What is Carbon Monoxide?

What is Carbon Monoxide?
Carbon Monoxide is a colourless, odourless, tasteless, toxic gas with the formula CO.

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Carbon Monoxide is produced by the incomplete combustion of fuel such as gas, oil, coal, wood and petrol used in boilers, engines, oil burners, gas fires, water heaters, solid fuel appliances and open fires.


Dangerous amounts of CO can accumulate when, as a result of poor installation, poor maintenance or failure or damage to an appliance in service, the fuel is not burned properly, or when enclosed spaces are poorly ventilated and Carbon Monoxide is unable to escape.


The major causes of high levels of carbon monoxide are faulty ventilation of hot water heaters, fireplaces, cooking stoves & grills; car exhaust fumes and gas or diesel-powered portable machines.


What are the effects of Carbon Monoxide?
Carbon Monoxide produces the following physiological effects on people exposed to the concentrations shown:


Concentration of CO in air	Inhalation time and toxic developed
50 parts per million (PPM)	Safety level as specified by the Health	and Safety Executive
200 PPM 	 	 	Slight headache within 2-3 hours
400 PPM 	 	 	Frontal headache within 1-2 hours, becoming widespread in 3 hours
800 PPM 	 	 	Dizziness, nausea, convulsions within 45 minutes, insensible in 2 hours