Where is carbon monoxide used

Carbon monoxide is being tested in several clinical trials as therapy for respiratory conditions such as acute respiratory distress syndrome ARDS , which often affects military personnel and veterans, and has a high mortality rate.

Researchers have found that inhalation of low doses of carbon monoxide can protect against further lung injury. Carbon monoxide is often used in small amounts as a food additive to keep meat looking red. Meat producers have reported it stabilizes the red color for up to 20 days, which helps prevent food waste; consumers are wary of any meat that turns brown, thinking it has spoiled.

A variety of fumigants, including carbon monoxide, are used to kill rodents in agriculture. Carbon monoxide kills rodents by reducing the amount of oxygen transmitted to their cells. It is also extremely flammable and classified as a health hazard. Carbon monoxide poisoning can cause illness, hospitalization, and death.

Because it has no odor or color, it often goes undetected, striking unsuspecting victims in sleep or states of drunkenness. Each year, more than people in the United States die from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning, more than 20, are seen in the emergency room, and more than 4, are hospitalized.

Carbon monoxide build-up is not necessarily a result of a malfunctioning appliance. When the gas concentrates in a small area and cannot dissipate, people and animals can get poisoned. Being in an open garage with a running car also can cause carbon monoxide poisoning, and so can using a portable grill or generator indoors for heat. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning can be fairly general and hard to pinpoint:.

Sometimes the poisoning effects are described as similar to flu symptoms. Too much inhaled carbon monoxide can cause loss of consciousness and death. As it is the second-leading cause of poisoning in the United States, it's helpful to know carbon monoxide poisoning prevention methods.

Some actions you can take are:. Carbon monoxide is legal within the use limits prescribed by government health and safety bodies. Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life.

National Institutes of Health ClinicalTrials. Eventually symptoms may progress to confusion, irritability, impaired judgment and coordination, and loss of consciousness. Minnesota state law MN Statute F. Also, the elderly and young children are at a greater risk for CO poisoning than adults. Individuals engaging in strenuous activity have also been found to be at greater risk. Although CO poisoning cases are higher during the winter months, there are situations where people can be exposed to high levels of CO during the summer.

Vehicles including boats produce carbon monoxide. Devices such as camp stoves, barbecue grills and non-electric heaters are commonly used during recreational activities and also are sources of CO. The CDC has noted that CO poisoning cases have resulted from the use of power generators during power outages. Portable generators are capable of producing more carbon monoxide than modern cars and can kill people in a short amount of time.

It is recommended that users place generators at least 25 feet away from and downwind of a house. Be sure that there are no vents or openings near the generator that would allow exhaust to enter into your home.

The typical lifespan of a CO alarm is between 5 and 7 years, but it varies by manufacturer. Consult the product packaging or manufacturer for a recommended replacement date. If people in the home are exhibiting symptoms of CO poisoning, immediately leave the building and call your local fire department. Plenty of reactions will do that, but Wang was hard pressed to think of ones that occur under conditions that exist inside the body. Wang spent a couple of months drawing different possibilities in a notebook.

During that time, he thought back to a seminar he was asked to give as a graduate student on so-called extrusion reactions, in which a group of target atoms is cleaved from a molecule through a pericyclic reaction. The more he mulled it over, the more convinced he became that the extrusion reaction chemistry he learned for that seminar almost 40 years ago offered the best chance for success. Using it, he developed a series of organic CO-containing prodrugs that he synthesized with click chemistry.

Some can also target a particular site or organelle in the body, such as mitochondria, or deliver CO along with a second compound , such as a chemotherapy agent.

In the latest generation of molecules, soon to be published, the release of CO leaves behind a molecule that is already used as a food additive and is proven to be safe in people, Wang says. The reactions vary, but many involve a CO molecule as a bridge across a cyclic portion: the CO is released via a cheletropic reaction. Others have a CO group that is attached to other parts of a molecule and that then breaks free in response to a stimulus. Other CO-delivery contenders are bubbling to the surface too.

Gomperts and his son, pharmaceutical executive Andrew Gomperts, started a company called Hillhurst Biopharmaceuticals and plan to apply for permission from the FDA to test their CO drug in humans early next year. But they have yet to pin down exactly which ones to take forward into clinical trials. Meanwhile, Choi and his colleagues have launched a company called Proterris that aims to deliver CO via inhalation and is also developing reformulated CORMs made from molybdenum and other organometallic and nonmetallic scaffolds.

Molybdenum is an essential micronutrient for living organisms and therefore less likely to be toxic than the CORMs of yore—especially in acute indications—and the company believes that it can be safely used in humans. The redesigned CORMs are still being tested in animals, but next year the company plans to relaunch the kidney transplantation trial that was halted by Ikaria a decade ago. Proterris hopes to test the inhaled gas in lung transplantation procedures next year as well.

Alla Katsnelson is a freelance writer. Contact us to opt out anytime. Contact the reporter. Submit a Letter to the Editor for publication. Engage with us on Twitter. The power is now in your nitrile gloved hands Sign up for a free account to increase your articles.

Or go unlimited with ACS membership. Chemistry matters. Join us to get the news you need. Don't miss out. Renew your membership, and continue to enjoy these benefits. Not Now. Grab your lab coat. Let's get started Welcome! It seems this is your first time logging in online. Books Boikess, Robert S. Lide, D. Other The United Nations. Combustion —A form of oxidation that occurs so rapidly that noticeable heat and light are produced.

Hemoglobin —An iron-containing, complex molecule carried in red blood cells that binds oxygen for transport to other areas of the body. Incomplete combustion —Combustion that occurs in such a way that fuel is not completely oxidized. Intercellular spaces —The spaces between cells in tissue. Reductant reducing agent —A chemical substance which reduces materials by donating electrons to them.

Toxicity —The extent to which a substance is poisonous.