ALLENTOWN, Pa. - Carbon monoxide is odorless and colorless, can be produced within the home -- and is deadly.
On Tuesday, 27 children and five adults were transported to local hospitals from the Happy Smiles Learning Center day care in Allentown after readings of 700 parts per million of CO was discovered, leading to the facility’s evacuation.
The permissible exposure limit set by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is 50 ppm.
Allentown Fire Department Capt. John Christopher called the situation “potentially lethal."
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, carbon monoxide poisoning each year kills more than 400 Americans not linked to fire, while more than 20,000 visit the emergency room and more than 4,000 are hospitalized for exposure.
Additionally, the risk of exposure is higher during colder months.
Where does carbon monoxide (CO) come from?
CO is the molecular cousin to the largely safe carbon dioxide (CO2) we exhale every day, created from the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels like gas, wood or coal.
At home, that can come from vehicle exhausts, gas stoves, fuel-burning furnaces, gasoline-powered generators, fireplaces, fuel-powered heaters, charcoal grills and other sources.
When the weather becomes cold in winter, most people close their windows and use heaters. This not only increases the amount of carbon monoxide produced, it also keeps it trapped inside.
Why is it harmful?
Inhaling a significant amount of CO can impede your blood’s ability to carry oxygen to different parts of the body because of its combining with hemoglobin (a protein that carries oxygen) in red blood cells.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, CO levels remaining above 70 ppm can lead to symptoms including headaches, fatigue and nausea becoming noticeable. At sustained CO concentrations above 150 to 200 ppm, disorientation, unconsciousness and death are possible.
Symptoms of low level exposure include headaches, nausea, rapid breathing, drowsiness or exhaustion, dizziness and confusion. Prolonged or severe exposure may result in severe oxygen deficiency (hypoxia), which can result in brain damage, heart damage and death.
The University of Kentucky says symptoms of lower levels of carbon monoxide poisoning can easily be mistaken for viral illnesses such as the flu. Because people cannot smell, taste or see the gas, they do not realize they are breathing in the toxic CO, and instead may believe the source of headaches, dizziness or drowsiness comes from these diseases common in the winter, further heightening the risk during the cold.
The CDC states that infants, the elderly, people with chronic heart disease, anemia, or breathing problems are more likely to get sick from CO.
Twenty-five of those at Happy Smiles Learning Center were children.
What can I do to stay safe?
The CDC recommends the following:
- Have your heating system, water heater and any other gas, oil, or coal-burning appliances serviced by a qualified technician every year.
- Install a battery-operated or battery back-up CO detector in your home. Check or replace the battery when you change the time on your clocks each spring and fall. If the detector sounds, leave your home immediately and call 911.
- Seek prompt medical help if you suspect CO poisoning and are feeling dizzy, light-headed, or nauseated.
- Don’t use a generator, charcoal grill, camp stove, or other gasoline or charcoal-burning device inside your home, basement, or garage or near a window.
- Don’t run a car or truck inside a garage attached to your house, even if you leave the door open.
- Don’t burn anything in a stove or fireplace that isn’t vented.
- Don’t heat your house with a gas oven.
- Don’t use a generator, pressure washer, or any gasoline-powered engine less than 20 feet from any window, door, or vent. Use an extension cord that is more than 20 feet long to keep the generator at a safe distance.
Allentown's Capt. Christopher said the day care facility did not have carbon monoxide detectors installed.
Legislation has been introduced and discussed by the Pennsylvania Legislature in recent years to provide standards for carbon monoxide alarms in schools and places used for child care. Bill SB129, which denotes standards and penalties for carbon monoxide alarms in child care facilities, passed the state Senate on Sept. 20.
Allentown City Council's Child Care Ordinance No. 15791 will require all home, group and child care centers to install carbon monoxide detectors, including detectors in the vicinity of every fossil-fuel-burning heater or appliance. Allentown communications manager Genesis Ortega said the window of compliance for that ordinance extends to Oct. 27, 2022.
