The Washington herald., 1921-09-25
RUNNING GASOLINE
ENGINE IN CLOSED
GARAGE FOULS AIR
Carbon Monoxide Floods
Closed Room From
Cars Exhaust.
SHOULD OPEN DOORS
Autoists May Be Overcome
In Short Time by Poi
sOnous Fumes.
SHOULD OPEN DOORS

carbon monoxide, was voiced yes
terday by a well-known automobile
authority.
Automobile owners and garage
workers" the authority declares.
should be warned Of the danger
involved in operating a gasoline
engine in a small. closed space and
advised to see that the garage is
well ventilated by open doors or
windows before permitting an en-
gtne to run for any considerable
length Of time.
Some interesting experiments on
this subject have recently been
carried on in connection with a
preliminary study Of the problem
OF ventilation involved in the pro-
posed vehicular tunnel under the
Hudson River. These experiments
were made in especially prepared
gassing chambers and relate prin-
cipally to (D the length of time 1t
Is safe to be exposed to various
concentrations of carbon monoN-
ide; (2) the comparative toxicity
of pure carbon monoxide, illumi-
mating gas, exhaust gas from gaso-
line and coal distillate, and (3) the
amount of carbon monoxide given
OF in the exhaust of automobile
engines Human beings. horses and
dogs were used as experimental
subjects.
Experiments Given.
The body of an adult man of
average weight contains enough
hemoglobin to hold about 500 C. C.
OF oxygen. II completely satur-
ated, IL would hold the same
amount of carbon monoxide. one
molecule of carbon monoxide re-
placing one mojecule of oxygen in
the blood. The absorption of 6
c. c. Of carbon monoxide from the
lungs produces, then, 1 per cent of
saturation and abolishes l per cent
Of the oxygen capacity.
The unit in which various con-
centrations of carbon monoxide are
commonly measured and expressed
for purposes OF ventilation is one
part. or a certain number of parts,
o. this gas mixed with 10000 times
as much air. A part is a hun
dredth of l per cent of an atmos-
phere. \ man at rest breathes
about 5000 c. c. of air per minute,
OF which about 5000 c. C. reach his
lungs, or so liters in ten minutes.
Let us suppose that this air con-
tains one part of carbon monoxide,
or c. C. in so liters, and that all
OF this C. c. is absorbed. The
blood would then become saturated
at the rate of l per cent every ten
minutes per part of carbon mon
oxide in the air. Evidently the du-
ra tion of exposure is a limiting
factor IN the amount absorbed, for
enc cannot absorb more than one
inhales," the authority claims.
Tt appears that when a man be-
gins breathing any low concentra-
ton Of carbon nonoxide mixed with
air, absorption at very nearly this
rate does occur, but only at first.
Then the rate becomes slower.
Even IL the exposure is prolonged,
carbon monoxide merely displaces
oxygen from the blood up to a
Point of equilibrium depending
upon the relative amounts or mass
actions of carbon monoxide and
oxygen in the air breathed and the
intensity OF the affinities of the
two gases for hemoglobin. If
thereafter the pressure Of oxygen
Is high enough and that of the car
ben monoxide is low, or absent as
In pure air. oxygen can likewiEe
displace carbon monoxide and thus
completely restore the oxygen-car-
rying power of the hemoRlobin
The blood is neither directly
changed nor injured by the process.
Conclusions Reached,
When the time Of exposure in
hours multiplied by the concentra-
tion OF carbon monoxide in parts
per 10000 Of air equals 3, there is
no perceptible Physiological effect:
when II equals 6, there is a inst
perceptible effect; when it EQUALS
,. headache and nausea are in
duced; when 1T equals Is or more.
the conditions are dangerous to
life.
IF the volume of breatbir. .
increased by exercise Gevan -,
slow walking and corresnondingII,
more physical work., the rate =,
absorption of carbon monoxida Js
increased proportionateIy,
After return to fresh air thu
elimination of carbon monoxide
through the lungs proceeds at a
rate OF from 30 to so per cent re-
duction Of the blood saturation per
hour
In the exhaust from gasoline
carbon monoxide is the NonIy con-
siderable toxic constituent. In the
exhaust gas from coal distillate
(benzol. etc.) and Illuminating gas
there are present accessory toxic
substances.
In testing the exhaust Of an
automobile engine for the total
amount of gas discharged per min
ute and the percentage of carbon
monoXide IL contained, a special
building was erected with a cubic
capacity approximately that of a
section of the proposed vehicuIar
trnnel which would contain one
car under active traffic conditions
4 small automobile, rated Al
twenty-three horsepower. was used
TIE power was employed in mart
to turn large paddle wheels which
mixed the air in the chamber
Practically uniform concentrations
Of exhaust gas were found stimuli
taneously in all parts of the cham
Der. 1t was found that the engine
a total of approximately
twenty-five cubic feet of exhaust
gas per minute. and samples of the
{ xhaust gas unmixed with air gave
from 5.5 to SIS per cent of carbon
r1onoxide, AN average of about
per cent, from which 1t appeared
that approximately 1.5 cubic feet of