Baltimore to put carbon monoxide monitors in all city schools
After two recent leaks at a city school that sent children and adults to the hospital, Baltimore school officials today said they will put carbon monoxide monitors in 35 schools within a week and in all of the system's 200 schools over the next month, according to a report in The Baltimore Sun.
Carbon Monoxide (CO)
Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless and toxic gas. Because it is impossible to see, taste or smell the toxic fumes, CO can kill you before you are aware it is in your home. At lower levels of exposure, CO causes mild effects that are often mistaken for the flu. These symptoms include headaches, dizziness, disorientation, nausea and fatigue. The effects of CO exposure can vary greatly from person to person depending on age, overall health and the concentration and length of exposure.
The source:
Unvented kerosene and gas space heaters; leaking chimneys and furnaces; back-drafting from furnaces, gas water heaters, wood stoves, and fireplaces; gas stoves; generators and other gasoline powered equipment; automobile exhaust from attached garages; and tobacco smoke.
