December 12th, 2017
Americans spend approximately 90 percent of their time indoors, where hazardous air pollutants can exist at higher levels than outdoors. Children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with lung disease are particularly at high risk for adverse health effects caused by indoor air pollution, including carbon monoxide (CO). CO is a colorless, odorless gas that is produced as a result of incomplete burning of carbon containing fuels. Exposure to CO reduces the blood's ability to carry oxygen. Carbon monoxide exposures especially affect unborn babies, infants, and people with anemia or a history of heart or respiratory disease. Breathing low levels of CO can cause fatigue and increase chest pain in people with chronic heart disease. Breathing higher levels of carbon monoxide causes flu-like symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, and weakness in healthy people. Carbon monoxide also causes sleepiness, nausea, vomiting, confusion, and disorientation.At very high levels, it causes loss of consciousness and death.