Household Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Details

• Personal Author:
  Islam T ; Kales SN ; Kim M
• Description:
  Carbon monoxide (CO) is a toxic gas that is colorless, odorless, tasteless and non-irritating, and thus without warning properties (ATSDR, 2009). CO is produced by the incomplete combustion of carbonaceous materials including vehicle and heating fuels. Without appropriate ventilation, indoor levels of CO can reach harmful or even life-threatening concentrations, sometimes within minutes. CO inhalation leads to tissue hypoxia and toxicity through several mechanisms. The best recognized is the impairment of oxygen transport. CO preferentially binds haemoglobin, which displaces oxygen and adversely affects the delivery of oxygen to the tissues. CO intoxication is the number one cause of unintentional, non-drug poisoning in developed countries. The case fatality rate is about 3% among persons seeking/receiving hospital care for CO poisoning (Sam-Lai et al., 2003; CDC, 2005). Ambient CO concentration in outside air is not a good predictor of poisoning incidence (diMarco et al., 2005). Instead, accumulations of CO in indoor air are the most common cause of intoxication. In several developed countries, 50- 64% of CO poisoning occurs in the home (Sam-Lai et al., 2003; CDC, 2005; Clifton et al., 2001; European Center for Injury Prevention, 2007). Accordingly, CO is a highly relevant risk related to inadequate housing conditions. Unintentional CO poisoning in the home - as considered in this chapter - is related to inappropriate or faulty heating, cooking or other combustion appliances and the entry of vehicle exhaust from attached garages. Intentional CO inhalation (suicides and suicide attempts), occupational CO inhalation or CO inhalation as a consequence of smoke inhalation due to structure fires are beyond the scope of this chapter. Individuals with greater susceptibility to CO exposure include pregnant women, infants and small children, the elderly and persons with underlying cardiopulmonary disease. Additionally, certain homes or residential areas (e.g., those with older/poorly maintained heating systems) are at significantly higher risk for both episodic CO elevations and/or chronically higher CO concentrations. Gas heating and cooking can be significant contributors to CO concentration in homes (Bruinen et al., 2004). The climate of most developed regions is such that heating is used in most homes at least part of the year. Additionally in Europe, for example, the WHO LARES study, which included 3300 homes in 8 European cities (Angers, Bonn, Bratislava, Budapest, Ferreira, Forli, Geneva, and Vilnius), revealed that two thirds (67%) of these houses relied on gas energy for cooking (WHO LARES database). Thus, CO is an important potential household hazard throughout most developed countries. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Air Pollution, Indoor Automobiles Carbon Monoxide Occupational Health Safety Vehicle Emissions
• Keywords:
  Automotive Exhausts Carbon Monoxide Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Health Effects Heating Systems IAQ Indoor Air Pollution Indoor Air Quality Indoor Environments
• Publisher:
  World Health Organization
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Report
• Place as Subject:
  Massachusetts ; OSHA Region 1
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  149-156
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20060322
• Citation:
  Environmental burden of disease associated with inadequate housing: a method guide to the quantification of health effects of selected housing risks in the WHO European Region. Braubach M, Jacobs DE, Ormandy D eds. Copenhagen, Denmark: World Health Organization, 2011 Mar; :149-156
• Contact Point Address:
  Stefanos N. Kales, Department of Environmental Health/Employee & Industrial Medicine, Harvard School of Public Health/Cambridge Health Alliance, USA
• CAS Registry Number:
  Carbon monoxide (CAS RN 630-08-0)
• Editor(s):
  Braubach M; Jacobs DE; Ormandy D
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2011
• Performing Organization:
  Harvard School of Public Health
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Environmental burden of disease associated with inadequate housing: a method guide to the quantification of health effects of selected housing risks in the WHO European Region
• End Date:
  20280630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:70a44911cb500840aa1588d29ae4f470a7a05b3aaabd603603eb034430a51722daa67fb705d109d346acc6bbdf401fca40eb39f6d348fee804d09e7455cf0456
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/224264/cdc_224264_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.02 MB ]