Carbon Monoxide Effects on Indoor Air Quality

Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless gas from automobiles, gas-burning engines and household appliances. Carbon monoxide can poison, causing fatigue, sickness and even death. It is created as a byproduct of carbon fuels when burning is not complete. Carbon Monoxide is a health risk we can do nothing about when outside, but inside we can identify contaminating sources and repair or remove them from our homes. Additionally, we can install a high quality air purifier to remove the very harmful gas that is continuously entering the home. We recommend the HealthMate Plus. The Austin Air HealthMate Plus uses medical grade High Efficiency Particulate Arresting (HEPA) air filtration to remove minuscule particles from the air. This HEPA air purifier is combined with an activated carbon blend cloth that removes Carbon Monoxide.

Carbon Monoxide Sources

The highway car and truck traffic around our home exposes us to carbon monoxide. If you live close to major highways, these automotive emissions can be at very high levels. The factories in your area emit carbon monoxide as does forest fire smoke. As our population grows, we will experience higher and higher levels of this outside contaminating gas. As for indoor sources, any fuel-burning appliance generates gas contamination. If not adequately vented this gas becomes very dangerous when leaked into the home. Fireplaces, space heaters, gas furnaces, water heaters, cigarettes, cigars and clothes dryers all generate carbon monoxide.

Carbon Monoxide Health Effects

When carbon monoxide is at low levels, you can feel tired and fatigued. Low levels are dangerous health risks to unborn babies, infants, the elderly and chemically sensitive. Those with a history of respiratory or heart disease will experiences problems breathing, heart pain or even death. Carbon monoxide has also even been linked to appendix and other organ problems.

Carbon monoxide is known to cause flu-like symptoms. It is not unusual to have nausea, sleepiness, vomiting, headaches and dizziness. At very high levels, carbon monoxide poisoning causes loss of consciousness and even death.

What You Can Do

The following guidelines will help you reduce carbon monoxide exposure:

• Never use fuel-fired ovens and gas ranges to heat your home.
• Never run your car in a closed garage.
• Periodically check furnaces, water heaters and other fuel-burning appliances to insure they are properly ventilated to the outside air.
• Only hire qualified professionals to work on your fuel-burning equipment.
• Clean your chimney once a year and inspect for cracks and leaks.
• Install indoor audible alarm carbon monoxide detectors to monitor air quality and detect when acceptable levels of exposure have been exceeded.
• Do not burn charcoal inside a home.
• Do not operate indoors your gasoline-powered power generators or other equipment that uses gas for fuel.
• Avoid the use of kerosene space heaters. When necessary, be extra careful to properly ventilate.
• Install an air purifier. The HealthMate Plus is one of the most effective systems you can buy. It has medical grade High Efficiency Particulate Arresting (HEPA) air filtration that removes the tiniest of particle contamination. More importantly, it has an activated carbon blend cloth that is most effective at removing carbon monoxide, chemicals and gases.

Carbon monoxide destroys air quality. To avoid headaches, dizziness, body breakdown and even death, make sure your home appliances and fire sources are working properly. To remove the carbon monoxide that permeates your home from the outside, consider an air purifier. We recommend the Austin Air Plus units. This is an air purifier considered the ultimate HealthMate air purifier.

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