The Effects of Carbon Monoxide (CO) on the Human Body

Carbon monoxide is a tasteless, odorless, colorless, highly toxic, and flammable gas. Its chemical formula is CO. Carbon monoxide is mostly formed from the incomplete combustion of carbon and/or molecules that contain carbon. Carbon monoxide is usually inhaled into the body when people smoke cigarettes or any other substances. When breathed into the human body, carbon monoxide alters the hemoglobin and thus puts a stop on the absorption of oxygen into the red blood cells. Carbon monoxide has different effects on people with different health conditions. Carbon monoxide also has different effects on different parts of the human body.

Carbon monoxide, by displacing the oxygen from the red blood cells, deprives the brain, the heart, the nervous system, and many other vital organs of oxygen. The replacement of oxygen with carbon monoxide fills the red blood cell with carboxyhemoglobin (COHb). The lack of oxygen to all of the vital organs of the human body causes dangerous concussions, suffocation, stroke, and heart attacks. Signs of carbon monoxide poisoning are: tightening of the chest, fatigue, dizziness, and sudden chest pains.

The effects of carbon monoxide on the heart can be very serious. One factor is the amount of carbon monoxide that is inhaled. Even if the concentration inhaled is 0.1%, people begin to feel the effects of carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide stimulates high blood pressure and most of the time causes heart attacks. Another effect of carbon monoxide on the heart is that it can cause lethal arrhythmias. Arrhythmia is the abnormal or irregular rhythm or beating of the heart. This can cause the heart to pump the blood irregularly. This occurrence can lead to death because abnormal amounts of blood will be pumped.

Since carbon monoxide is inhaled, it passes through the lungs before it reaches the blood. This means that it causes lung problems as well. Through its absorption though the lungs, carbon monoxide can cause lung cancer. This happens when the carbon monoxide interacts with the lungs.

Carbon monoxide has an every greater impact on pregnancy and early childhood. The carbon monoxide crosses the placenta in the uterus by simple diffusion and starts to affect the fetus. There is also a connection between the fetal growth and carbon monoxide

exposure to the fetus. Carbon monoxide has also been reported to be the factor of sudden infant death syndrome, which is any sudden and unexplained death of a healthy infant between the ages of one month and one year.

People that are already diagnosed with heart disease or any other heart problems are extremely sensitive to carbon monoxide levels. This is because their hearts are already under pressure from their disease. One outcome of person with heart problems that is exposed to carbon monoxide is that that person has a very high posibility of having a heart attack. As the concentration of carbon monoxide rises we can conclude that the situation gets worse and worse. Symptoms will incresase and eventually can turn fatal.

People with any kind of chronic lung disorder as also very suseptable to carbon monoxide poisoning. This can occur when the carbon monoxide enters the body through the mouth and down the larynx. From there it enters the lungs and diffuses into the bloodstream. During its time in the lungs, the carbon monoxide can harm the lining of the lungs. This can cause serious problems such as asthma and even lung cancer. Other problems may include, but are not limited to: heavy breathing, wheezing and chronic tuberculosis.

Carbon monoxide is a very dangerous gas due to its physical properties. Those properties are: odorless, colorless, and tasteless. Carbon monoxide is produced from the incomplete combustion of carbon and substances that contain carbon molecules. Carbon monoxide enters the body by enterning the mouth and going through the larynx. Then it enters the lungs and diffuses into the bloodstream. Carbon monoxide stops the hemoglobin in the red blood cells from abroping oxygen. Instead it makes the red blood cell absorb the carbon monoxide and turn it into carboxyhaemoglobin which is a combination of carbon monoxide and hemoglobin. This causes the vital organs such as: the brain, lungs, heart, and nervous system from receiving the necessary amount of oxygen. This can lead to the suffocation and death of humans. That is how carbon monoxide effects the human body.

Bibliography:

1) DEPARTMENT OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY. 17 Dec. 2005 .

2) "Carbon Monoxide Risks." OSHA. 17 Dec. 2005 .

3) "Air Quality Factsheet - Carbon Monoxide (CO." Department of the Environment and Heritage. 17 Dec. 2005 .

4) "Carbon Monoxide (CO)." Ministry of the Environment. 17 Dec. 2005 .

Bibliography: 1) DEPARTMENT OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY. 17 Dec. 2005 . 2) "Carbon Monoxide Risks." OSHA. 17 Dec. 2005 . 3) "Air Quality Factsheet - Carbon Monoxide (CO." Department of the Environment and Heritage. 17 Dec. 2005 . 4) "Carbon Monoxide (CO)." Ministry of the Environment. 17 Dec. 2005 .