Question

State the main sources and effects of carbon monoxide.

Answer 1

Carbon monoxide is formed by incomplete combustion of fuels in homes, factories and automobiles.

Effects of carbon monoxide are as follows:

• It is a highly poisonous gas.
• It reduces the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood by an amount equivalent to the amount of haemoglobin converted to carboxyhaemoglobin.
  Haemoglobin + CO → Carboxyhaemoglobin
• Because heart and brain are the two tissues most sensitive to oxygen depletion, they show the most serious effects of carbon monoxide exposure.
• In high concentrations, carbon monoxide may kill by paralysing normal brain action.