At high pressures and elevated temperatures it reacts with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst to form methanol . Carbon monoxide is formed by combustion of carbon in oxygen at high temperatures when there is an excess of carbon.
Carbon monoxide is an extremely poisonous gas.
The gas is especially dangerous because it is not easily detected by human senses. Early symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include drowsiness and headache, followed by unconsciousness, respiratory failure, and death. When carbon monoxide is inhaled, it reacts with hemoglobin, the red blood pigment that normally carries oxygen to all parts of the body. Because carbon monoxide is attracted to the hemoglobin about 210 times as strongly as is oxygen, it takes the place of oxygen in the blood, causing oxygen starvation throughout the body. Carbon monoxide detectors for homes are now readily available.