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Carbon monoxide‐induced death and toxicity from charcoal briquettes
Author(s) -
Winder Chris
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/mja11.10777
Subject(s) - briquette , charcoal , citation , library science , computer science , engineering , chemistry , waste management , coal , organic chemistry
The Medical Journal of Australia ISSN: 0025729X 17 September 2012 197 6 349-350 ©The Medical Journal of Australia 2012 www.mja.com.au Lessons from Practice combustion of carbon-containing ti ns of restricted oxygen supply, naces, unflued heaters, compr stoves, vehicle exhaust, welders, fuelled equipment, and building fir The mechanism of CO toxicity inhibition of oxygen binding to h This case highlights the problem of burning charcoal briquettes in a poorly ventilated space, which can generate toxic carbon monoxide (CO) concentrations.1 CO is a colourless, odourless and non-irritating gas with no warning properties. Sources of CO are related to incomplete materials under condiand include faulty furessors, wood-burning other petrolor dieseles. is asphyxiation through aemoglobin, where CO has an affinity for the haemoglobin oxygen binding sites of over 200 times that for oxygen. CO also raises cellular haem concentrations, which interrupts cellular respiration, and causes oxidative stress and inflammation via multiple pathways.2 For mild, short-term exposure (below about 500 parts per million [ppm]), symptoms can include headache, dizziness, nausea, impaired psychomotor function (and also some abnormal behavioural function), loss of balance, fatigue and respiratory symptoms.3 As the concentration increases, these symptoms intensify. Lethal concentrations are relatively low — death occurs after about 2 hours at 1500 ppm, and can occur after shorter exposures at higher concentrations (eg, within 30 minutes at 3000– 6000 ppm).2,4 Death by suicide using non-vehicular CO is well documented,5,6 and charcoal barbecues and hibachis have previously been associated with unintentional deaths.7-9 Stoichiometrically, it is possible to estimate the quantity of briquettes that need to be burned to produce a potentially toxic concentration of CO in an apartment with a defined volume. The weight (W) of a gas, in grams, in 1 m3 at 100% concentration is: