Carbon monoxide is very poisonous to humans as it combines with haemoglobin to form carboxyhaemoglobin , which starves the body of oxygen causing asphyxiation. Carbon monoxide is produced by incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, especially in petrol engines.
Carbon monoxide is a strong reductant.
It burns in oxygen with a blue flame to form carbon dioxide. In industry its power as a reductant is used in the blast furnace for the extraction of iron. The New Penguin Dictionary of Science 2. The New Penguin Dictionary of Science 3. A Dictionary of Science, Oxford University Press 4.