What’s the difference between carbon monoxide (CO) and
carbon dioxide (CO2)? The names are very similar and they are both colorless
and odorless gases, but there’s some critical differences.
Carbon monoxide is the result of an improperly ventilated
fuel-burning appliance, such as an oil or gas furnace, gas hot water heater, gas
oven, gas or kerosene space heater, fireplace or woodstove. In autos, CO is
generated by a gasoline engine that does not use a catalytic converter. CO
poisoning is the most common type of fatal poisoning.
Symptoms of CO poisoning include headaches, dizziness,
nausea, vomiting, fatigue and soon unconsciousness or death. It is sometimes mistaken
for food poisoning. You need to be especially alert to these symptoms in the
event of power outages when people turn to generators that may be improperly
ventilated or too close to a window. Cars left running in closed garages can
also be deadly.
Carbon dioxide, on the other hand, occurs naturally in the
atmosphere and is required for plant life. It is a natural byproduct of human
and animal respiration. We breathe in oxygen and breath out carbon dioxide. CO2
is generated by gasoline engines that do have catalytic converters. CO2
poisoning is very rare and usually appears as “the bends” if you come up from a
deep water dive too quickly.
