Low Level CO Poisoning

What’s Your CO IQ?

Tracee

You may be surprised by what you DON’T know about carbon monoxide (CO). Take the quiz and find out. Give yourself 10 points for each fact that you already knew. What’s your CO IQ?

1. Carbon monoxide smells like:

  1. sulphur
  2. a gas stove leak
  3. burning plastic
  4. None of the above, because it is odorless.

Answer: (d) Unlike a gas leak, you cannot smell CO.

2.  CO is a byproduct of incomplete combustion and is produced by:

  1. smoking cigarettes and hookahs
  2. burning gasses such as natural gas, propane, gasoline, and kerosene.
  3. burning wood and paper
  4. all of the above

Answer: (d) Smoking, burning of gases/other materials produces CO. Additionally, the ingredient methylene chloride, in paint and varnish stripper, is metabolized to CO in the body. (1)

3.  When you breathe in CO, it poisons your body by displacing the:

  1. carbon dioxide in your blood
  2. oxygen in your blood
  3. electrolytes in your blood
  4. none of the above

Answer: (b) CO binds to haemoglobin over 200 times greater than oxygen, creating hypoxia to heart, brain, nervous system, and body. (1)

4.  Symptoms of severe acute CO poisoning can include:

  1. irritability, headache, and chest pain
  2. nausea, malaise, and headache
  3. irregular heartbeat, loss of muscle control, and fluid in the lungs
  4. all of the above

Answer: (d) Plus many additional symptoms including loss of consciousness, coma, and death. For more symptoms see CDC.gov.

5.  Home CO alarms can save your life by alerting you to deadly levels of CO in your home.

  1. true
  2. false

Answer: (a) (1)

6.  Home CO alarms are designed to prevent poisoning and injury from CO.

  1. true
  2. false

Answer: (b) Home CO detectors are ONLY designed to prevent death, not poisoning and injury. (1, 2, 3)       

7.  According to the World Health Organization, the safe level of CO in the home is:

  1. 0 – 4 ppm (parts per million)
  2. 50 ppm
  3. 100 ppm
  4. None of the above  

Answer: (a) Sensitive individuals may experience symptoms at levels as low as 3ppm. (1)

8. Which of the following is false:

  1. firefighters wear protective gear at 35ppm
  2. ACGIH has a limit of 25ppm for an 8-hour workday for industrial hygienists
  3. home CO detectors alarm at 70ppm and up
  4. OSHA permissible limits for the workplace are 50ppm during an 8-hour average

Answer: Trick question, all are correct. In the US, home CO alarm set points are much higher than workplace safety standards for an 8-hour workday even though most people spend much longer in their homes. (1, 2)

9. Flu-like symptoms with no fever are common with low level carbon monoxide poisoning. Other symptoms can include:

  1. multi-sensory sensitivity, loss of/difficulty speaking, insomnia
  2. chronic fatigue, IBS, fibromyalgia, memory issues
  3. behavior changes, mood disorders, reoccurring infections, joint pain
  4. all of the above

Answer: (d) Additionally, low level chronic carbon monoxide poisoning will not set off your home CO alarm. (1) Please see my CO page for more information on chronic CO poisoning. foggynoggindiner.com/co/ (edited 3/7/2024)

10. Levels of carbon monoxide near properly adjusted gas stoves are often 5 to 15 ppm.

  1. true
  2. false

Answer: (a) Those near poorly adjusted stoves may reach 30ppm or higher. Additionally many gas stoves do not have an exhaust fan that vents to the outdoors, and if they do, they are often not used enough. My stove was doing 60ppm and our exhaust fan was recirculating the CO back into the kitchen. (1)

11. Electric stoves and ovens do not produce carbon monoxide.

  1. true
  2. false

Answer: (b) The appliance itself will not produce CO but cooking and burning food can create combustion, and therefore CO. Especially during the self-cleaning cycle which can release over 1000ppm. (1)

12.  Children are at higher risk for CO poisoning because they breath faster than adults, causing them to breath in more CO.

  1. true
  2. false

Answer: (a) Children under 4 and babies are especially at risk. (1)

13. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning will correlate with levels of carboxyhemoglobin (COHgb) in the blood. (COHgb is formed by CO binding to hemoglobin in red blood cells, displacing oxygen).

  1. true
  2. false

Answer: (b) Hypoxia from COHgb isn’t the only issue causing symptoms by CO. It can also damage mitochondria, myelin, creates oxidative stress (ROS), affects dopamine, and more. Yet many doctors are unaware of this. (1, 2, 3, 4, )

14. All members in a household with low level chronic CO poisoning will experience the same symptoms.

  1. true
  2. false

Answer: (b) While flu-like symptoms without a fever are common, sometimes people will display different symptoms making it harder to suspect a single cause. Children, elderly, those with health conditions, and pets may be more severely affected. (1, 2,3 , 4, 5)

15. Unvented gas or kerosene space heaters and fireplaces are safe as long as they have an oxygen depletion sensor (ODS) that shuts off gas flow when oxygen levels drop below 18%.

  1. true
  2. false

Answer: (b) ALL gas/fuel burning appliances require adequate ventilation. ODS sensors ONLY detect lower oxygen levels; they do not detect carbon monoxide or other harmful gases (1).

16. Signs of carbon monoxide in the home are:

  1. black/gray soot on walls and vents
  2. condensation and/or mildew on walls or windows
  3. house seems haunted
  4. all of the above

Answer: (d) Incomplete combustion produces both CO and water vapor. Not all condensation is caused by this, but it is one cause. (1, 2) Also, some house hauntings have turned out to be caused by a CO issue causing hallucinations. (1, 2)

17. Carbon monoxide can travel through sheetrock, floors, and other porous building materials.

  1. true
  2. false

Answer: (a) This is how a running car in an attached garage can cause CO poisoning inside the home. Also, high CO levels in an apartment or condo can seep into adjacent units. (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

18. Running a car, lawn mower, or other gas-powered machine in a garage is safe as long as the garage door is open.

  1. true
  2. false

Answer: (b) Warming up a vehicle for 2 minutes with an open overhead door can still raise CO levels in the garage to 500ppm. (1, )

19. Carbon monoxide is often a leading cause of indirect death following a natural disaster.

  1. true
  2. false

Answer: (a) This is especially true during a power outage. Mostly due to improper use of generators and grills next to homes or using gas stoves/ovens for heat. (1, 2, 3, 4)

20. Hotels and vacation resorts are required to have carbon monoxide detectors in each room.

  1. true
  2. false

Answer: (b) Most US states do not require CO detectors in lodging facilities. It seems every year we hear news reports of the death of a couple or entire family in a hotel or swanky resort that turns out to be from CO poisoning. (1, 2)

21. Carbon monoxide created by a running boat engine on water is

  1. safe if you are outdoors in the open air.
  2. can cause a “station-wagon effect” pulling CO into the back deck and cockpit, and under the swim platform.

Answer: (b) The amount of time it can take to get fatal CO poisoning from being under/near platform of a running boat is 1 or 2 breaths. (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

22. There are personal low level CO detectors that will pick up 1ppm and up. They are used by plumbers and HVAC professionals. Hopefully by now it is obvious why every family needs at least one.

  1. I already own one
  2. I will seriously look into this
  3. No thanks, I’ll take my chances

For more information see my CO page:

https://foggynoggindiner.com/co/

This VIDEO has more information on low level chronic carbon monoxide poisoning.

Awareness saves lives, health, and brain cells. Please share this quiz with your friends and loved ones.

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Published by Tracee

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