The Good and The Bad

THE GOOD AND THE BAD

The Good Chemical: Mercaptan

This is a word that all of us encounter when also talking of carbon monoxide. Mercaptan is a harmless non-toxic chemical added to natural gas to make it easier to detect. Natural gas is originally colorless and odorless. Mercaptan, on the other hand, smells like that of rotten eggs. It only takes a small amount of mercaptan to give natural gas a distinctive smell.

Adding mercaptan to natural gas is essential. If no mercaptan is added, then it would be hard for us to detect if an unlit natural gas was coming from the stove after leaving the valve turned on. It would be hard to detect if there are leaks from the furnaces or heaters.

As you can imagine, the mercaptan is a very valuable safety feature. Forms of this chemical can be found in things that smell - rotten eggs, garlic, skunks, and bad breath, for example. The smell is actually caused by the sulfur in the mercaptan. But it is less corrosive and less toxic than other similar compounds. This makes it very useful for industries into jet fuel, pharmaceuticals, and chemical plants.

The Bad Chemical: Carbon Monoxide

Carbon monoxide poisoning is one of the most feared causes of death in the country. This is because carbon monoxide is odorless, tasteless, and invisible. It is relatively harmless in open spaces. But it becomes life-threatening when accumulated in a closed area, like in our homes.

Less air is entering homes today because of conservation. This makes homes susceptible to producing carbon monoxide and us very close to possibilities of carbon monoxide poisoning. That's why it is important for us to be alert to the dangers of this silent killer.

Carbon monoxide poisoning has a lot of symptoms. A person will experience, headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, irregular breathing, rapid heartbeat, and ringing in the ears. He or she will also be seeing spots, feel fatigue, confusion, memory loss, loss of coordination, and have a blurred feeling. The person may be feeling ill at home but find out that he's okay when he's out of the house. In the worst case scenario, the person will lose consciousness, go into a coma, and have seizures, a cardiac arrest, respiratory failure, and then death.

Against Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

First sign of danger you get, go out and get some clean air. Do not ignore what may seem like small things, like the smell of exhaust fumes, a yellow orange flame on the gas range, furnace, or burners, soot around the chimney, fireplace, and others.

Get out of the house once you think it may be carbon monoxide accumulating in your home. Call an emergency squad or get medical aid if the situation becomes serious enough.

When one of you becomes a victim of carbon monoxide poisoning, make sure to loosen the victim's clothing and keep him/her warm. Place the head lower than the feet and try to give artificial respiration. Once help has arrived for the victim, call a service agency and get help in identifying the reason of the problem and in making the necessary improvements and precautions.

Some tips to avoid being victims of carbon monoxide poisoning are to purchase carbon monoxide detectors and to check all fuel- burning equipment in your home. Make sure they are all installed and working correctly. If possible, always consult with professionals with your appliances.

Provide adequate ventilation, especially in areas where there are stoves, fireplaces, and space heaters. Take care not to burn charcoal inside your home or in an enclosed space. Have your chimney checked and cleaned.

Do not light a match, flip a switch, or operate any appliances when you suspect carbon monoxide. Do not smoke; extinguish your cigarette immediately. Do not open the windows. Do not try to find the leak yourself. You only have to get out of the house, and stay out until home security services have checked your home and have given the thumbs-up sign.

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