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Carbon Monoxide

 


One of carbonaceous gas in the earth atmosphere which takes part in global carbon cycle is Carbon Monoxide. Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a colourless, tasteless and odourless gas which is 96.5% as heavy as air and insoluble in water. Its molecular weight is 28.1 with a boiling point of -191.5ºC and melting point of -205ºC. However, it is not uniformly distributed on earth but can be transported long distances and remains in the atmosphere for a longer duration with an average residence time of 36-110 days. Some basic chemical reactions that yields CO are-

      I.        Incomplete combustion of fuel:

2C + O2 à 2CO

    II.        Reactions between carbon dioxide and carbon containing materials at very high temperature such as in blast furnaces:

CO2 + C à 2CO

   III.        Dissociation of carbon dioxide at elevated temperature

CO2 ó CO

Sources and Sink of Carbon Monoxide in the Atmosphere

There are two types of sources of CO in the atmosphere which are natural sources and man-made sources or anthropogenic sources. Volcanic action, natural gas emission, electrical discharge during storms, seed germination, marsh gas production are the natural sources of CO in the atmosphere, however contribution of these sources is very less as compare to man-made sources. Man-made sources includes transportation (64%), forest fires (7.2%), agricultural burning (8.3%) and industrial processes such as iron, steel, paper and petroleum industries (9.6%). Diesel and petroleum engines in automobiles is the primary source of carbon monoxide emission in the atmosphere. It is estimated that each year around 350 million tonnes of CO are emitted in the atmosphere. Out of which 275 million tonnes are from human sources and 75 million tonnes from natural sources.

Some soil micro-organisms such as Aspergillus and Penicillium are major sink of CO.

Route of Exposure to CO

•      By breathing in contaminated air

•      Using malfunctioning equipment

•      Smoking and breathing in other people’s cigarette smoke

•      Living near industries that emit carbon monoxide

•      Using nonelectric heaters

Biochemical Effects of CO

When we are exposed to CO through any route and it enters in our body, it attacks haemoglobin and forms a complex named as carboxyhaemoglobin by displacing oxygen.

                                    O2Hb + CO à COHb + O2

Carboxy haemoglobin is a stronger complex that reduces the blood’s capacity to carry oxygen.

Effects of various levels of CO on humans

CO level(ppm)

effects on humans

10

impairment of judgement and visual perception

100

headache, dizziness, weariness

250

loss of consciousness

750

death after several years   

1000

rapid death

 

Effects on Environment

•      Although CO is a weak greenhouse gas but it influence the presence of other greenhouse gases such as methane, tropospheric ozone and carbon dioxide.

•      CO reacts with the hydroxyl radical forming a stronger greenhouse gas named as carbon dioxide.

•      It also increases the concentration of methane which is also a potent greenhouse gas, because the most common way methane is removed from the atmosphere is when it reacts with hydroxyl radical.

Control Measures

•       Modification of internal combustion engines to reduce the amounts of pollutants formed during fuel combustion

•      Development of exhaust system reactors which will complete the combustion process

•      Development of substitute fuel for gasoline

•      Alternate power sources e.g. steam, electric and gas turbine engines

 

 

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