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Carbon Monoxide: Winter’s silent, deadly threat
By Simone Gaunt & Laura Feakes
Unlike smoke, which has a distinctive odor and is easy to see, carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless. A malfunctioning gas heater, a clogged chimney or a gas-fired space heater in an enclosed space can generate a carbon monoxide leak. If the carbon monoxide level in one’s home is high enough, the consequences can be tragic. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, about 400 people in the country die annually from carbon monoxide poisoning. There were about 3,000 carbon monoxide related incidents in 2006 in Massachusetts.
Carbon monoxide is absorbed into the blood more than 200 times faster than oxygen and displaces oxygen in the blood, traveling to the heart, brain, and other organs. The result is headache, nausea, and dizziness in the short-term, and eventually death for those exposed for longer periods. Because the initial symptoms resemble the flu, many people with gas or wood burning devices in the home may already be exposed to low-level amounts of the gas without even knowing it.
The good news is a battery-powered detector (recommended by state officials) can be purchased for as little as $20 to $30 at hardware stores and larger department chains. Detectors with digital read-outs are recommended so that residents can check the readout from time to time to see if levels of carbon monoxide are increasing. “Talking” detectors, which alert residents verbally to the problem, cost more, about $125. The detectors do not need to be installed on the ceiling, but instead three-fourths up the wall is the recommended. Dangerous exposure levels are about eight parts per million over an eight-hour period, and 22 parts per million over the course of an hour. A 2005 state law requires owners of Massachusetts residences to install a carbon monoxide detector on every floor of habitable space in the home. The law is generally not enforced unless a home is sold.
Safety Tips:
- Have all fuel-burning appliances, including oil and gas furnaces, gas water heaters, gas ranges and ovens, gas dryers, gas or kerosene space heaters, and wood stoves, inspected by a trained professional at the beginning of every heating season.
- Whenever possible, choose appliances that vent their fumes to the outside and have them properly installed.
- Read and follow all instructions that accompany any fuel burning device.
- Avoid idling the car in the garage, even if the door is open.
- Never use a gas oven to heat your home, even for a short time
- Never sleep in a room with an un-vented gas or kerosene space heater.
- Don’t use gasoline-powered engines (mowers, weed cutters, generators, etc) in enclosed spaces
- Never ignore symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, nausea, or shortness of breath, especially if more than one person feels them. If you experience any of these symptoms, leave the house immediately, and get to an emergency room.
Simone Gaunt and Laura Feakes are Elder Services Information and Referral Specialists.