What do you know about carbon monoxide?
Well, according to Omaye (2002), carbon monoxide poisoning is the most common type of fatal air poisoning in many countries. Therefore, I suggest you read on and acquaint yourself with this quite scary (but easily detectable) gas.
So, a short science lesson for all you lovely readers then. Carbon monoxide is made of carbon and oxygen – two of the most common elements in the world. Its chemical formula is CO, and it is a colourless, odourless and tasteless gas, which makes it very hard to detect. It is also highly toxic. When it combines with haemoglobin in your blood, it produces carboxyhaemoglobin, which is ineffective at delivering oxygen to your body tissues. In effect, you end up suffocating, and even small concentrations in the atmosphere can be fatal.
Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are similar to the flu – headaches, nausea and vomiting, dizziness, tiredness, and feeling weak. The final symptom is death, and there is really no coming back from that one. All in all a very unpleasant experience.
So how is carbon monoxide produced? Well, in the home, it is usually produced by faulty gas appliances – a good reason to get your boiler serviced homeowners!
So, if you cannot see, smell, or taste this gas, how on earth are you supposed to know if it’s there? Well, help is at hand in the shape of a carbon monoxide detector. This natty piece of equipment works in a similar way to a smoke alarm, and some detectors come combined as a carbon-monoxide-and-smoke-detector-all-in-one-magical-alarm-system. That may not be the actual title used by the manufacturer, but I think you get the idea.
Carbon monoxide detectors are very sensitive pieces of safety equipment, and they will give off a very loud warning alarm if there is a rise in the levels of carbon monoxide gas, thus allowing you to open the windows and skedaddle before the aforementioned dizziness, nausea and death set in.
If this detection sounds like a good idea, I would suggest you have a look our Kidde combined smoke and carbon monoxide detector – this one is for sale at the bargain price of £22.57 – a fair price for saving your life methinks. It gives a double whammy of protection by being both a CO and smoke detector, and it has a voice alarm which tells you if it is smoke or carbon monoxide that is detecting – a genius little feature in my humble opinion.
You may have seen in the news a while back about a family that died of carbon monoxide poisoning whilst on holiday abroad. Their apartment had a faulty gas boiler, the carbon monoxide gas built up, and it was unfortunately too late for that family. The same situation can be avoided by using a Kidde plug-in carbon monoxide alarm. This is a simple unit that will plug into a standard 13 amp socket (you can use an adaptor if you’re holidaying abroad). It has a digital display and monitors the carbon monoxide levels, alerting you if the gas levels start rising to dangerous levels. So, for a small investment you can protect the lives of you and your family, whether you’re at home or on holiday. Don’t let this silent killer become YOUR silent killer.
This ends the science lesson for today – no homework this week, but there may be a test next time!
