<VV> You Got it RIGHT! Re: CO or CO2 ? NO CORVAIR

[jvhroberts at aol.com]

Actually, both are toxic. Just at different threshholds, and by different mechanisms. CO binds FAR more strongly to your hemoglobin than either O2 or CO2, and as such, essentially makes it carboxyhemoglobin, which has FAR less oxygen transport capability than hemoglobin. 

CO2 is in fact, VERY toxic. At 5%, it's almost immediately deadly. At 3%, breathing rate goes so high, one could have cardiac arrest, etc. The human body doesn't know when it's out of oxygen, only when there's too much CO2, and it will go to extreme measures to get rid of it, even if the atmosphere has too much in it. 

See:


-----Original Message-----
From: HallGrenn at aol.com
To: jhouston001 at cfl.rr.com; FrankCB at aol.com
Cc: virtualvairs at corvair.org; dmonasterio at megared.net.mx
Sent: Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:13 am
Subject: Re: <VV> You Got it RIGHT! Re: CO or CO2 ? NO CORVAIR



I'm not a chemical engineer or a doctor, but the courses I've gone to in  the 
service and later in the private sector taught me that CO (carbon  
monoxide--notice the mono?) and CO2 (carbon dioxide) should both be treated with  

respect.  CO is a poison, it is about the same size as an O2 molecule  (oxygen) 
and 
the body's cells will absorb it as if it was O2, killing the  cell.  If you 
have CO poisoning it takes a while to rid your body of  the CO--usually in a 
hospital if you have been incompacitated.  
 
CO2 (larger molecule than CO or O2) will smother you (your lungs) if it is  
in large enough quantities compared to oxygen. It can't poison  your cells 
because they won't take it in as they will CO (I realize there  are situations 
of 
pressure extremes when concentrations can occur).
 
Either can kill you under the wrong circumstances, but our cars will  
typically warn us off with smelly fumes (unless you've removed too many 'excess  

parts'  :)) before the odor free CO (carbon monoxide) will kill us or make  us 
sick.  
 
Bob Hall
Group Corvair
Washington DC Suburbs



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