Despite numerous agencies dedicated to eradicating pollution, dangerous chemicals still travel through the air into our homes, schools, or work places. Inhaling a dangerous chemical or pollutants are the cause of numerous chronic conditions and may even cause death.
Areas of Chemical Exposure to Carbon Monoxide
One of the most dangerous and common pollutants is carbon monoxide. What makes carbon monoxide particularly dangerous is how common it is—most cars and kitchen ovens produce carbon monoxide—and the fact that it's odorless. Tens of thousands of people are made sick by accidental carbon monoxide poisoning every year, and close to 500 die as a result.
Carbon monoxide can be produced by:
- Cars or trucks
- Small engines
- Stoves
- Lanterns
- Grills
- Fireplaces
- Gas ranges
- Furnaces
Combustion devices that are improperly sized, blocked, or disconnected can leak off carbon monoxide fumes, as well as exhaust from cars in attached garages, nearby roads, or parking areas. Sometimes automobile exhaust can give off this dangerous chemical, and tobacco smoke can carry traces of CO. Carbon monoxidecan build up indoors, poisoning animals and people who breath it in.
What Are the Signs of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning?
When a person is exposed to carbon monoxide, they might experience minor symptoms, such as fatigue, and minor chest pain. Victims sometimes experience impaired vision and a loss of coordination. Often the person exposed will believe that he or she has the symptoms of the stomach flu. When someone is exposed to an extremely high concentration of carbon monoxide, it can be fatal.
Common symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are:
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Weakness
- Upset stomach
- Vomiting
- Chest pain
- Confusion
If you inhale a large amount of CO, it can make you pass out and eventually suffocate you. Sometimes this lack of oxygen can cause victims to suffer permanent or temporary brain damage, impaired vision, or angina. CO is the deadliest when you are sleeping or are under the influence of alcohol, when your conscious awareness is at its lowest.
How to Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning?
The best way to avoid CO poisoning is by installing a battery-operated CO detector in your home.
You should also have your heating system, water heater, and gas appliances checked yearly by a qualified technician. If you have an unvented space heater in your house, you may want to replace it with a vented one. Use the right fuel in kerosene space heaters, and make sure to open flues when using your fireplace. If you have a wood burning stove in your home, you will want to make sure that it meets EPA standards.
If you suffered severe and lasting effects from CO exposure, and believe that someone else it at fault for your injuries, then contact a personal injury lawyer to discuss your case. In situations where a landlord, school principal, or boss ignored signs of carbon monoxide, you deserve to be compensated for their mistakes.