Carbon monoxide sources
Where it comes from
There have been carbon monoxide sources and carbon monoxide poisonings dating back to times
when people lived in caves.
Today, there are an almost unlimited number of carbon monoxide
sources.
Carbon monoxide is formed by the incomplete combustion of materials containing carbon and can be
produced by virtually anything that burns.
The more efficient the combustion process, the less carbon monoxide is produced.
Carbon monoxide is a common by-product of fuels that burn such as gasoline, diesel, propane, natural gas,
kerosene, wood, coal, charcoal, alcohol, and others.
In addition to carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, particulates, and other toxins are also produced during combustion.
Internal combustion engines produce carbon monoxide - much more during the start-up of a cold engine or
when an engine is not properly maintained/out of tune.
Usually the by-products of combustion are safely vented outside a building, vehicle, or area.
However, if anything disrupts the normal ventilation process or disrupts the normal burning process
or pulls exhaust gases from an outside source, then carbon monoxide levels can rise rapidly and become extremely
dangerous.
See sources of one-time carbon monoxide
poisonings
See sources of multiple low level carbon
monoxide poisonings
Return to Carbon monoxide sources or top of Carbon monoxide sources: Where it comes from
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