What Carbon Monoxide Does to You

Too much carbon monoxide in your blood will kill you. …Low-level exposure to this gas also endangers your health.
…Given a choice between carbon monoxide and oxygen, the protein hemoglobin in our blood will always latch on to carbon monoxide and ignore the life-giving oxygen. Because of this natural chemical affinity, our bodies—in effect—replace oxygen with carbon monoxide in our bloodstream, causing greater or lesser levels of cell suffocation depending on the intensity and duration of exposure.

The side-effects that can result from this low-level exposure include permanent organ and brain damage. Infants and the elderly are more susceptible than healthy adults, as are those with anemia or heart disease.

In the past, mass euthanasia has been accomplished by using three methods for generating CO: (1) chemical interaction of sodium formate and sulfuric acid; (2) exhaust fumes from idling gasoline internal combustion engines; and (3) commercially compressed CO in cylinders. The first two techniques are associated with a number of problems, such as production of other gases, inadequate concentrations of carbon monoxide achieved, inadequate cooling of the gas, and maintenance of the equipment; therefore, the only recommended source is compressed CO in cylinders.

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