i hate when people say CO2 is poison, its not
people tend to get these confused
Poison
Carbon monoxide, with the chemical formula CO, is a colorless, odorless and tasteless, yet highly toxic
gas. Its molecules consist of one
carbon atom and one
oxygen atom, connected by a
covalent double bond and a dative covalent bond. It is the simplest
oxocarbon, and can be viewed as the
anhydride of
formic acid (CH2O2).
Toxicity
Carbon monoxide poisoning is the most common type of fatal poisoning in many countries.[4] Carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless, but extremely toxic: it combines with hemoglobin in the blood to produce carboxyhemoglobin (HbCO), which is ineffective for delivering oxygen to the body tissues (a condition known as anoxemia). Concentrations as low as 667 ppm can cause up to 50% of the body's hemoglobin to convert to HbCO. In the United States, OSHA limits long-term workplace exposure levels to 50 ppm.[5]
The most common symptoms of CO poisoning can resemble the flu, including
headache,
nausea and
vomiting,
dizziness,
lethargy and a feeling of weakness. Infants may be irritable and feed poorly. Neurological signs include confusion, disorientation, visual disturbance,
syncope and seizures.
[1]
In his pioneering 1846 study, Claude Bernard observed that the blood of poisoned dogs was more
rutilant ("gleaming"
[6] or "glowing"
[7]) in all the vessels, a fact now known to be due to the formation of HbCO. Some classic descriptions of CO poisoning cite also retinal hemorrhages, bright reddish skin, and an abnormal "cherry-red" blood hue;
[8] but in most clinical diagnoses these signs are seldom seen.
[1]
Carbon monoxide is believed to compromise other important molecules such as
myoglobin, and
mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase. Exposures can lead to significant damage to the
heart and
central nervous system, especially to the
globus pallidus,
[9] often with long-term
sequelae. Carbon monoxide can also have severe effects on the
fetus of a pregnant woman.
Not poison
Carbon dioxide (
chemical formula: CO2) is a
chemical compound composed of two
oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single
carbon atom. CO2 is toxic in higher concentrations:
1% (10,000 ppm) will make some people feel drowsy.
[2] Concentrations of 7% to 10% cause dizziness, headache, visual and hearing dysfunction, and unconsciousness within a few minutes to an hour. It is a
gas at
standard temperature and pressure and exists in
Earth's atmosphere in this state.
Carbon dioxide is used by plants during
photosynthesis to make sugars, which may either be consumed in
respiration or used as the raw material to produce other organic compounds needed for plant growth and development. It is produced during
respiration by
plants, and by all
animals,
fungi and
microorganisms that depend either directly or indirectly on plants for food. It is thus a major component of the
carbon cycle. Carbon dioxide is generated as a by-product of the combustion of
fossil fuels or the burning of vegetable matter, among other chemical processes. Small amounts of carbon dioxide are emitted from
volcanoes and other
geothermal processes such as
hot springs and
geysers and by the dissolution of carbonates in crustal rocks
Toxicity
Main symptoms of Carbon dioxide toxicity, by increasing volume percent in air.
[2][36].
Carbon dioxide content in fresh air (averaged between sea-level and 10 hPa level, i.e. about 30 km altitude) varies between 0.036% (360 ppm) and 0.039% (390 ppm), depending on the location
[37].
Prolonged exposure to moderate concentrations can cause acidosis and adverse effects on calcium phosphorus metabolism resulting in increased calcium deposits in soft tissue. Carbon dioxide is toxic to the heart and causes diminished contractile force.
[36]
Toxicity and its effects increase with the concentration of CO2, here given in
volume percent of CO2 in the air:
we use -1500 ppm
1% = 10,000 ppm
1%, as can occur in a crowded auditorium with poor ventilation, can cause drowsiness with prolonged exposure.
[2]
2% it is mildly narcotic and causes increased blood pressure and pulse rate, and causes reduced hearing.
[36]
5% it causes stimulation of the respiratory centre, dizziness, confusion and difficulty in breathing accompanied by headache and shortness of breath.
[36]
8% it causes headache, sweating, dim vision, tremor and loss of consciousness after exposure for between five and ten minutes.
[36]
it in and used for
Drinks
Carbon dioxide is used to produce
carbonated soft drinks and
soda water. Traditionally, the carbonation in beer and sparkling wine came about through natural fermentation, but many manufacturers carbonate these drinks artificially. In the case of bottled and kegged beer, artificial carbonation is now the most common method used. With the exception of British
Real Ale, draught (draft) beer is usually transferred from kegs in a cold room or cellar to dispensing taps on the bar using pressurised carbon dioxide, often mixed with nitrogen.
[edit] Foods
A candy called
Pop Rocks is pressurized with carbon dioxide gas at about 40 bar (600 psi). When placed in the mouth, it dissolves (just like other hard candy) and releases the gas bubbles with an audible pop.
Leavening agents produce carbon dioxide to cause dough to rise. Baker's yeast produces carbon dioxide by fermentation of sugars within the dough, while chemical leaveners such as baking powder and baking soda release carbon dioxide when heated or if exposed to acids.
Caffeine removal
Liquid carbon dioxide is a good
solvent for many
lipophilic organic compounds, and is used to remove
caffeine from
coffee. First, the green coffee beans are soaked in water. The beans are placed in the top of a column seventy feet (21 m) high. Then supercritical carbon dioxide in fluid form at about 93 degrees Celsius enters at the bottom of the column. The caffeine diffuses out of the beans and into the carbon dioxide
CO2 only displaces O2
CO not only displaces O2 but kills brain cells and other cells in the body