Air Pollutants- Carbon Monoxide

Air Pollutants

Carbon Monoxide

The EPA has classified six different air pollutants, which include ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, and lead. These pollutants can damage your health and the environment. The EPA has called these pollutants criteria pollutants, because it is monitored for human health and environmentally based guidelines.

            Carbon monoxide is one of the six air pollutants recognized by EPA. Carbon monoxide is poisonous and does not have any color, odor, or taste. It is mixed with other gases so you can actually smell it. The incomplete burning of natural gas in combination with other material, including wood, coal, propane, gasoline, or kerosene produces carbon monoxide. Internal combustion engines such as power washers, portable generators, lawn mowers, and cars produce carbon monoxide.

            Carbon monoxide affects the environment. Large amounts of carbon monoxide produces methane thought to be linked to greenhouse gas. This leads to oxidation which produces carbon dioxide. Sometimes brushfires break out because of high levels of carbon monoxide.

            Also, carbon monoxide is very harmful to the human body. When carbon monoxide is present in the body, the heart, brain, and other vital organs are not getting the oxygen they need to survive. Some of the first symptoms include headache, fatigue, and shortness of breath, nausea, and dizziness. As carbon monoxide stays in the body, the symptoms get increasingly get worst. These symptoms include mental confusion, vomiting, loss of muscular coordination, loss of consciousness, which leads to death. Carbon monoxide poisoning can be treated if caught early with lots of oxygen. Carbon monoxide is a dangerous pollutant and should be monitored carefully.