Carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) are often mistaken for one another. Both gases are odourless and colorless and target the cardiovascular system. Both gases can enter the body through inhalation, skin and / or eye. Similar symptoms that both gases have in common are headaches, dizziness, seizures, and hallucination.

Most people have a hard time determining the difference and do not realize that vehicle exhaust emits both CO and CO₂. In an indoor environment, this build-up of gas can be hazardous to the health and safety of the individual exposed to it.

CO has been referred to as the “Silent Killer” (The Dangers of Carbon Monoxide). Once CO is inhaled, oxygen levels are displaced in the blood causing vital organs to starve. Therefore, causing people to suffocate and lose consciousness.

CO₂, on the other hand, is referred to as “hypercarbia or hypercapnia” (Carbon Dioxide Poisoning). Since our blood expels CO₂, inhaling more CO₂ would cause the inability for the body to expel the gas.

Additional differences in CO and CO₂ are addressed in the table below:

NOTE: Sources for the table above are referenced from Buzzle.com, CO2Meter.com and NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards.

Since it is extremely difficult to detect CO and CO₂ gases based on the symptoms alone, installing a gas detector is suggested. There are a large range of detectors available on the market; therefore, choosing the right one that suites your need is ideal. Choose a gas detector from a manufacturer that is reputable and has their products tested by certain standards such as the Canadian Standards Association (CSA), Underwriters Laboratories (UL), etc.

For suggestions on a fixed gas detection system, please visit www.critical-environment.com.

Written by: Ambur Vilac & Teresa Kouch

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References

Bose, Debopriya. “Carbon Dioxide Poisoning.” Buzzle.com. 26 December 2011. Web. 31 May 2012. <http://www.buzzle.com/articles/carbon-dioxide-poisoning.html>.

Bose, Debopriya. “Carbon Monoxide Poisoning: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment.” Buzzle.com. 2011. Web. 31 May 2012. <http://www.buzzle.com/articles/carbon-monoxide-poisoning-causes-symptoms-and-treatment.html>.

“CO and CO2 – What’s the difference?” CO2Meter.com. 27 August 2009. Web. 31 May 2012. <http://www.co2meter.com/blogs/news/1209952-co-and-co2-what-s-the-difference>.

“Dangers of CO2: What You Need to Know.” CO2Meter.com. 25 October 2011. Web. 31 May 2012. <http://www.co2meter.com/blogs/news/4418142-dangers-of-co2-what-you-need-to-know>.

“The Danger of Carbon Monoxide.” Silent Shadow: Silent Killer. 2004. Web. 31 May 2012. <http://www.silentshadow.org/>.

“Exposure to CO2 Leads to Fear of Suffocation.” CO2Meter.com. 12 January 2010. Web. 31 May 2012. <http://www.co2meter.com/blogs/news/1417162-exposure-to-co2-leads-to-fear-of-suffocation>.

“NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 04 April 2011. Web. 01 June 2012. <http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/default.html>.

Today’s buildings, whether it is a home, office, manufacturing plant, hospital, etc., are more energy efficient; however, they also foster a potentially harmful environment. Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) has become a rising concern in the HVAC industry.

Poor IAQ can cause a number of health issues such as, allergies, dryness and irritation to the eyes, nose, throat, and skin. It can also cause headaches, shortness of breath, hypersensitivity, sinus congestion, coughing, sneezing, nausea, and dizziness. Depending on the type of building, the main factors of poor IAQ are different. For residential homes, carbon monoxide, pet dander, dust mites and mold spores are the common factors. For parking garages, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and propane are the common factors. By educating ourselves about poor IAQ, we can be proactive to install systems, such as gas detectors, air purifiers, etc., in the building for a healthier living environment.

Below are IAQ myths about gas detection systems that have been debunked:

Written by: Ambur Vilac & Teresa Kouch

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References

Angela. “5-Myths Debunked About the Home’s Heating and Cooling System.” Hoffmann Brothers: St. Louis Geothermal Heating & Cooling Company. 31 August 2010. Web. 10 May 2012. <http://www.stlouisgeothermal.com/blog.html>.

Hudson, Adam. “Indoor Air Quality: Myth or Money Generator.” www.co2meter.com. 01 December 2008. Web. 10 May 2012. <http://contractingbusiness.com/columnists/hudson/indoor_air_quality_myth/>.

“Top 8 Air Cleaner Myths You Are Not Supposed to Know About.” Air Cleaners, Air Purifiers – Air Cleaner Systems. 2010. Web. 26 September 2011. <http://air-cleaner-systems.com/air-cleaner-myths>.

Canadians love their hockey. With that in mind, a reasonably sized community will have an ice rink. Global Maritimes states in a news article that “there are 10 times as many rinks in Canada as there are in the United States.” That means more ice resurfacers, also known as zambonis, and ice edgers can be found in Canada than the USA.

An ice resurfacer is a machine that is used to clean and smooth the ice. An ice edger is a machine that is used at the edge of the ice rink where the ice resurfacer cannot reach. Both machineries are either powered by fuel or electricity. The exhaust produced by the fueled powered machines emits, in the air, carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and particulates, regardless if they are powered by gasoline, propane or diesel. These pollutants linger in the air and with inadequate ventilation; outdoor air is not brought inside to dilute the emissions from the machine(s) nor is indoor air being pushed out. So the only way for these toxic pollutants to migrate is to be inhaled.

CO is “odorless, colorless and poisonous gas” (Indoor Air Quality…). Early symptoms include shortness of breath, mild nausea and mild headaches. Long term exposures could cause loss of consciousness and even death. NO₂ is a reddish-brown toxic gas that gives off a sharp odor. Early symptoms could “cause irritation to the eyes, nose and throat as well as shortness of breath” (Toxic Fumes…). See table 1 below. Particulate is a “complex mixture of…acids, organic chemicals, metals, and soil or dust particles” (Indoor Air Quality…) and affects the heart and lungs.

Table 1: Symptoms of Carbon Monoxide (CO) and Nitrogen Dioxide (NO₂) Poisoning at Various Exposure Levels

Table is based on “Indoor Air Quality and Ice Arenas”

So with every breath a person in an ice arena takes, they are slowly poisoning themselves without even knowing it. Arenas usually have very little ventilation; therefore, toxic fumes that are emitted in the arena will linger.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides guidelines to recreational facilities for ventilation practices and air quality standards. For instance, the EPA recommends facility operators to use electric powered ice resurfacers and edgers as it “reduces hydrocarbon emissions by about 71 percent, nitrous oxide emissions by about 80 percent, and carbon monoxide emissions by about 57 percent” (Indoor Air Quality…). Based on the Today’s Show, see video, most arenas do not use electric powered models as it costs “twice as much as the older fuel models” and is not a mandatory requirement from the USA federal government. Gas detectors, such as carbon monoxide, are also not legal requirements for ice rinks in the USA as mentioned in the Today’s Show video. Only three states, Minnesota, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, regulate their indoor air quality (Is the ice rink…).

What to do if you see warning signs or symptoms as a result of high pollutants:

• Limit or cease exposure immediately
• Leave the building & get fresh air immediately
• Seek medical attention
• Speak to arena management
• Work with your doctor to come up with a plan to control or reduce potential exposure

As a customer of the ice arena, find out from arena management if:

• The ice resurfacers and edgers are fuel-fired or electric?
• The ventilation system is adequate?
• Fresh air is supplied to occupied area of the arena?
• Are there gas detectors installed for CO, NO₂ and particulates?

What should the ice arena employees and managers do?

• Procedures:
  • Educate yourself and your staff
  • Create procedures to respond to complaints and emergencies
  • Develop an evacuation plan
• Ventilation:
  • Get the ventilation system regularly maintenance
  • Ensure fresh air intake is not located near vehicle exhaust or loading areas and is not blocked
  • Open gates to allow better air circulation during and after resurfacing
  • Follow EPA guidelines & ASHRAE standards to regulate IAQ
  • Install automatic ventilation when certain levels of gases are reached
• Machinery:
  • Replace or upgrade older equipments that do not meet EPA emissions standards
  • Reduce edging time
  • Decrease resurfacing frequency
  • Installing catalytic converter to all fuel machineries
  • Regular servicing on machines used at the arena
  • Warm up ice resurfacers and edgers in a well-ventilated room or outside
• Detectors:
  • Install a gas detection system to monitor toxic gases at breathing level
  • Monitor air quality for CO, NO₂ and particulate gases during and shortly after use of machines
  • Install an alarm notification
  • Have notification alarms connected to local fire department or emergency medical services

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Written by: Teresa Kouch, Marketing

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REFERENCES:

Barthelmes, John, and Degnan, J. “Toxic Fumes at Indoor Ice Rinks.” Informational Bulletin 2011-02. Feb 2011. Web. 09 May 2011.

“Cape Breton doctor examines link between hockey rink cleaners and cancer.” Global Maritimes, 6 May 2011. Web. 09 May 2011

Coffman, Keith. “Authorities probe ice rink fumes that sicken 61 people.” Reuters, 07 Feb 2011. Web. 09 May 2011.

Dillard, Mechele. “Carbon monoxide poisoning potential threat in ice rinks.” HULIQ, 10 Feb 2011. Web. 10 May 2011.

Holt, L., Moss, M., and Pelham, T. “Exposure to carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide in enclosed ice arenas.” Occup Environ Med 2002; 59:224-233.

“Indoor Air Quality and Ice Arenas.” United States Environmental Protection Agency. Web. 11 May 2011.

“Is the ice rink making your child sick?” MSN BC. TodayShow.com. 2011. Web. 16 Feb 2011.

“Zamboni fumes sicken dozens at ice rink.” RSW Florida, 08 Feb 2011. Web. 09 May 2011.

Critical Environment Technologies Canada Inc. (CETCI) is proud to announce the launch of PET BACnet gas detection transmitter.

PET is a new economical Parkade Emissions Transmitter that communicates via BACnet protocol MS/TP signal. It is available with electrochemical and temperature sensors to detect carbon monoxide (CO), nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), sulphur dioxide (SO₂), oxygen (O₂), and temperature. Features include thermal resetting fuse, tri-color LED indicator for power and alarm, and an optional 4-digit LED display. It includes new sensor CEF (Calibration Extending Firmware) that takes into account the aging of the sensors so that less frequent calibrations are acceptable in non-critical applications. Calibration and maintenance procedures are easily performed in the field without requiring access to the controller. PET is ideal for use in non-hazardous vehicle exhaust environments, commercial HVAC and light industrial applications.

Every CETCI product is designed to deliver years of reliable operation and is easy to operate.

For more information on the entire range of gas detection systems and IAQ instruments, please visit www.critical-environment.com.

Want to be the first to be notified on updates?

Simply visit www.critical-environment.com, subscribe to CETCI Magazine Blog, find us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter: @cetci, connect with us on LinkedIn, or subscribe to our RSS feed.

The easiest way to check if your house is encapsulating gases is to monitor the carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels. This one gas is used as a marker for air quality, is the easiest to monitor, and provides a more accurate air quality reading.

It is a good trend indicator because it changes in measurable amounts as the air quality gets worse. All other gasses in the house follow the same trend as the CO₂. Most commercial air quality controls are based on CO₂ levels.

It is the easiest to monitor simply because as the air quality gets worse, the levels increase. Outside air has an average of 350 – 450 ppm of CO₂. Inside, the levels raise to values of 550 – 700 ppm. In office buildings, the HVAC systems will keep the levels below 800 ppm.

Monitoring the CO₂ levels is relatively inexpensive and more accurate compared to monitoring any of the other gases that are in your home such as carbon monoxide (CO) and TVOC. It is more accurate in that it does not change based on individual problems.

CO Monitors

CO monitors are commonly sold at the local hardware store. The problem with CO monitors is that it always reads 0 ppm. This reading does not mean that you are safe because it is only looking for the CO gas that is produced by cars and things that are burning. The reason CO monitors are so common is that a large part of the world uses natural gas to cook their food and if this gas is not burned correctly it can produce CO. This monitor does not tell you what your air quality is. It is used for a specific purpose which is to detect CO.

TVOC Monitors

TVOC monitors are expensive and can cost thousands of dollars. You would think you are safe because it always reads less than 0.04 ppm. If you just purchased a new desk that is manufactured in a country that is not regulated, you will see an increase in your TVOC values but how do you know which type of VOC it is? Within a week or two, the levels will then return to values of about 0.05 ppm. This may take several months to a couple of years for the VOCs to stop off gassing from the desk and return to less than 0.04 ppm. It’s impossible to say the increase or decrease was due to formaldehyde or hydrogen sulphide. It’s also impossible to identify what combination of VOC made up the TVOC reading.

CO₂ Monitors

CO2 monitor is like a smoke detector and looks at the general problem. If a smoke detector only went off if the fire was caused by burning macaroni and cheese it may save your life but the odds are lower than if it detects all the source of fire. The CO₂ monitor does not detect all the source of poor air quality but it tells you if you are in a location that has poor air quality or even bad air quality and this means the levels of all the gases that can have effects on your quality of life are higher.

Written by: Richard Grant, Service Department Supervisor