Contact: Esther Bowring, 240-777-6530
Michelle Courville, 240-777-7700

For Immediate Release: January 17, 2002

County Offers Publication, Tips
For Detecting and Preventing
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Information about how to detect and prevent carbon monoxide poisoning is available from the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) through a publication entitled, "Carbon Monoxide -- What You Should Know."

Carbon monoxide (CO) is one of the leading causes of poisoning deaths in the United States. Approximately 250 lives are claimed accidentally each year, and CO poisoning poses a serious health threat to thousands of individuals and families.

The effects of carbon monoxide, a colorless, tasteless, and odorless gas, are often overlooked, with some people suffering from poisoning continuously for months. CO poisoning is often confused with the flu, especially during the winter. Common poisoning symptoms include headaches, dizziness, fatigue, and nausea. Although everyone is at risk, infants, children, senior citizens, and individuals with respiratory problems are especially susceptible.

Carbon monoxide is the by-product of the incomplete combustion of any fuel source - such as natural gas, wood, charcoal, oil, kerosene, propane, or gasoline. CO can be produced by common appliances, including furnaces and water heaters, clothes dryers, space heaters, ranges and ovens, fireplaces, wood stoves, charcoal grills, and garaged automobiles.

To prevent poisoning, appliances should be properly maintained and adjusted. DEP Air Quality Program Manager Michelle Courville suggests that a simple check for many stoves and other appliances is the "flame test."

"Pilot or ignition lights and burners should be blue in color, indicating sufficient oxygen and complete combustion of the fuel source; a yellow flame indicates that combustion is incomplete due to improper supply of oxygen or a bad mix of fuel and air, resulting in higher levels of carbon monoxide," said Courville.

Proper ventilation is also essential: appliances like gas dryers should be vented to the outside, along with non-electric space heaters.

A significant number of carbon monoxide poisonings occur annually as a result of automobiles being idled in a garage attached to a house. Even with a garage door open, a large amount of carbon monoxide can be pulled into a house, where it will continue to accumulate, potentially leading to dangerously high levels.

Courville says, "While we cannot see, smell, or taste carbon monoxide, warning regarding dangerously high levels are provided by carbon monoxide detectors - available in hardwire and battery operated models." CO detectors range in price from $30 to $95.

For more information, residents can check the County's website on "Detecting and Preventing Carbon Monoxide Poisoning" available at www.askDEP.com. Residents can also request a Carbon Monoxide Information Kit by calling 240-777-7770. The kit contains information on preventing carbon monoxide poisoning and what to look for in a carbon monoxide detector. CO information is also available at Regional Services Centers and Public Libraries in English, as well as Spanish, Korean, Chinese, and Vietnamese.

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