Last summer, a family of three happily went out on the road and took their four-meter trailer with them. When they arrived at their destination, they started camp and lay down in the trailer at the end of the day. Due to the cold mountain air, they left a coal fire burning while sleeping. It was a big mistake.
Although they opened an opening in the ceiling and a window with fans for ventilation, the carbon monoxide increased. When the mother woke up early in the morning, she felt sick and exhausted. She went to wake her 12-year-old daughter, but was shocked to find the child dead. Carbon monoxide, the silent killer, was at work. He almost killed his father and mother as well. Both were to be hospitalized.
Many people do not realize that burning coal can kill even in a ventilated room. Because they can not smell or see this gas, they are not warning of a dangerous situation. A similar danger is found in cars.
It is not uncommon to read reports of people found dead in parked cars, killed by the carbon monoxide produced by their engines. Some died in the airport parking lot, where they warmed up by starting the car's engine while waiting for someone. This story was also repeated in movies about driving, when the car's engine was used to warm up the car.
Gaseous carbon monoxide is formed by the combustion of all substances containing carbon. Gasoline used to power cars, fuel used to heat homes, and even tobacco from cigars and cigarettes emit carbon monoxide when burned. Adequate ventilation is necessary.
When a person breathes carbon monoxide, the blood's ability to transport oxygen from the lungs to the body's tissues is severely impaired. Hemoglobin in the blood attracts a hundred times more carbon monoxide than oxygen. As a result, the body's tissues are deprived of oxygen. The body experiences loss of energy and paralysis of mental and physical reactions.
Carbon monoxide is said to be dangerous when it reaches a level of ten parts per million air parts, a level that is not uncommon in busy city traffic. At this concentration, injuries can be caused to pregnant women and people with bronchitis, emphysema and chronic heart disease. Because a damaged heart may not be able to compensate for the reduced supply of oxygen to the blood, death can occur. A mixture of 600 parts carbon monoxide per million air, which can easily be collected in a camp wagon with coal fire, can kill in three hours.
Although charcoal stoves, cars and stoves are common and provide service to people, one should never forget that they are also home to a deadly killer. It is important to be aware of the danger and take precautions
Carbon is dangerous