Carbon Monoxide Poisoning: Cause
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Cause
Carbon monoxide poisoning is caused by inhaling carbon monoxide, a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas produced by the incomplete burning of fuels. It may build up in enclosed or semi-enclosed areas such as cars, houses, or buildings. If too much carbon monoxide builds up, it can become deadly.
Common sources of carbon monoxide include:
- Faulty indoor heating systems (such as gas, wood-burning, or coal-burning stoves or furnaces).
- Car exhaust.
- Houseboat generators.
- Cooking appliances.
- Propane-powered forklifts, ice-resurfacing machines, and other work equipment.
- Smoke from a burning vehicle or building.
Injuries and deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning in the United States have declined significantly since the Clean Air Act was passed by Congress in 1970. But carbon monoxide remains one of the leading causes of poisoning death in the U.S. More than 1,700 suicides and 500 accidental deaths every year are from carbon monoxide poisoning.1
| Last updated: | March 18, 2008 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS |
| Reviewed By: | Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine, R. Steven Tharratt, MD, MPVM, FACP, FCCP - Pulmonology, Critical Care, Medical Toxicology |
| Editors: | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman, MATC |
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