Because you can not see, taste, or smell it, carbon monoxide can kill you before you know it is there. Everyone is at risk for carbon monoxide poisoning. Experts believe, however, that individuals with greater oxygen requirements such as unborn babies, infants, children, senior citizens, and people with coronary or respiratory problems are at greater risk. The great danger of carbon monoxide is its attraction to hemoglobin in the bloodstream. CO is breathed in through the lungs and bonds with hemoglobin in the blood, displacing the oxygen cells need to function.
Carbon monoxide is a by-product of combustion, present whenever fuel is burned.
It is produced by common home appliances, such as gas or oil furnaces, clothes dryers, water heaters, fireplaces, charcoal or gas grills, gas ranges, wood burning stoves, and space heaters. Fumes from automobiles also contain carbon monoxide and can enter a home through walls or doorways if a car is left running in an attached garage. All of these sources can contribute to a CO problem in the home. If a home is vented properly and is free from appliance malfunctions, air pressure fluctuations or airway blockages, carbon monoxide will most likely be safely vented to the outside. But in today's energy-efficient homes this is frequently not the case.