What is the difference between CO and CO2 gases?

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is currently a commonly used term in the media in connection with human impact on nature and climate change. What they both have in common, apart from these two letters, is that they are odorless gases that are colorless and can be harmful to health or even fatal in high concentrations.

What is CO - carbon monoxide?

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, tasteless, odorless flammable gas that is produced by the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels (e.g. coal, gas, wood).

Incomplete combustion occurs when there is insufficient air supply during combustion. In the home, carbon monoxide is produced during poor combustion, which you can encounter in a gas instantaneous water heater or a gas boiler, where the burning flame is not blue, but orange. CO is also produced when wood burns in the fireplace. It is not recommended to let wood smolder in the fireplace with the chimney flap closed. The increased concentration is then caused by insufficient ventilation of the room. Leaky flues, insufficient chimney draft or poorly cleaned and unmaintained equipment are dangerous.

Outside the home, transport and all industrial processes involving combustion contribute to CO production. A significant amount is produced in the atmosphere by the oxidation of methane, and cigarette smoke is also a significant source.

The most common sources of carbon monoxide in Karmas homes are gas boilers, gas heaters, gas ovens and stoves.

• Boilers (for wood, coal, gas, pellets, heating oils)
• Fireplaces, stoves, stoves
• Other devices that burn fuel

How is carbon monoxide (CO) harmful and what does it do to us?

Carbon monoxide enters the body through inhalation, negatively affects the nervous system, heart and blood vessels. If it is a lower concentration, a healthy person may experience headaches and fatigue. If a person has heart problems, even a low concentration of CO can cause chest pain. Higher concentrations cause disturbances in vision, coordination, severe headaches, dizziness, hallucinations or even nausea. Elevated levels are particularly risky for people with chronic inflammation of the airways and for people with diseases of the circulatory system. A very high concentration is fatal, the person falls unconscious and dies. Carbon monoxide poisoning affects more than a thousand people in the Czech Republic every year.

Protection against carbon monoxide leakage - CO detector Since CO gas is colorless, odorless and undetectable by human senses, it is recommended to install a CO air detector in rooms with a possible source of leakage. In addition to triggering an alarm when the set values are exceeded, the detector records and monitors the CO level in the room. It is easy to assemble and in most cases only takes a few minutes.

The best prevention and protection against CO leakage are regular inspections of appliances, as well as revisions and revisions of flues, including chimneys, or the replacement of old equipment with modern types of stoves and boilers that have protection against the backdraft of flue gases. When buying new heating sources, pay attention to professional installation and wiring.

What is CO2 - carbon dioxide?

Carbon dioxide, like carbon monoxide, is a colorless, tasteless and odorless gas, but at higher concentrations it can have a slightly sour taste in the mouth. It is a normal part of the Earth's atmosphere. CO2 is a product of human respiration, fermentation, decomposition and combustion. Especially as a result of human activity, the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere is increasing. This fact has a negative impact on the intensification of the greenhouse effect.

• The most common sources of carbon dioxide in households People and pets
• Fermentation, calving, burning, cooking on a gas stove
• Indoor plants on a small scale

How does carbon dioxide (CO2) harm us and what does it do to us?

A high concentration of carbon dioxide significantly affects the air quality in the room. If you do not regularly ventilate, unfavorable CO2 levels in the room can be reached relatively quickly. "Congested" air reduces alertness, increases fatigue, causes headaches, increased blood pressure, tinnitus, as well as nausea. Exposure to higher concentrations of carbon dioxide is considered dangerous to health, epileptic convulsions, muscle disturbances, drop in blood pressure and unconsciousness may occur.

Extreme concentration results in almost immediate unconsciousness and death within minutes.

Carbon dioxide protection - CO2 detector

In a person's natural environment, there is no life-threatening concentration that could poison a person. Still, some people buy carbon dioxide detectors for their homes as "musty air" detectors. Higher levels of CO2 in the home have been attributed to sleep difficulties and headaches. The measurement of the concentration of carbon dioxide in the air is most often carried out at workplaces in order to ensure hygienic and occupational safety conditions. In order to ensure hygienic and safety conditions at work, it is necessary not to exceed the CO2 limits established by applicable legal regulations.