Carbon Monoxide is a poisonous gas that we cannot smell, see or taste. This poisonous gas is produced by the incomplete combustion of any fossil fuel fire . These fuels power the appliances we heat our homes with, cook with, dry our cloths with, and power our cars and snow throwers with. Fossil fuels include coal, wood, oil, propane, natural gas, charcoal and gasoline. NO ONE is safe.
Carbon monoxide is inhaled into our bodies and absorbed by our red blood cells.
The red blood cells that are called hemoglobin transport the life giving oxygen to the vital tissue of our body to sustain life including the heart and brain. Without this oxygen we will die. The red blood cells will absorb 212 time more carbon monoxide than it will oxygen. When this happens carbon monoxide prevents the oxygen from being carried to the tissue cells of the body. In carbon monoxide poisoning this lack of oxygen causes the cells in our body to die.