At what level does carbon monoxide become dangerous?



After cooking on our new gas stove last night for approximately 30-45 minutes, my husband said that the carbon monoxide detector in our bedroom read a level of 15ppm. This is the highest we have seen it, generally speaking it doesn’t go over 10ppm. At what point (in ppm) should we be concerned?

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Published by Selena Augustine on Aug 25, 2009 under Q.A.

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3 Responses to “At what level does carbon monoxide become dangerous?”

  1. Comment by Max

    Any level of carbon monoxide is dangerous, it inhibits hemoglobin, myoglobin, and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase (which are all VERY important!).

    But typically, a concentration of as little as 0.04% (400 parts per million) carbon monoxide in the air can be fatal.

    Below is a chart to help elaborate on the toxicity levels of CO and its symptoms:
    * 35 ppm (0.0035%) Headache and dizziness within six to eight hours of constant exposure
    * 100 ppm (0.01%) Slight headache in two to three hours
    * 200 ppm (0.02%) Slight headache within two to three hours
    * 400 ppm (0.04%) Frontal headache within one to two hours
    * 800 ppm (0.08%) Dizziness, nausea, and convulsions within 45 minutes. Insensible within two hours.
    * 1,600 ppm (0.16%) Headache, dizziness, and nausea within 20 minutes. Death in less than two hours.
    * 3,200 ppm (0.32%) Headache, dizziness and nausea in five to ten minutes. Death within 30 minutes.
    * 6,400 ppm (0.64%) Headache and dizziness in one to two minutes. Death in less than 20 minutes.
    * 12,800 ppm (1.28%) Unconsciousness after 2-3 breaths. Death in less than three minutes.

    In addition, a recent report concludes that carbon monoxide exposure can lead to significant loss of lifespan after exposure due to damage to the heart muscle.

  2. Comment by milton b

    Carbon monoxide is a health concern in any concentration. The effects of carbon monoxide posioning are cumulative. You should have the oven and all of the other gas appliances in your house checked.

  3. Comment by sun d

    Any level of concentration of carbon monoxide is dangerous as it forms decarboxy hemoglobin which is not capable of carrying oxygen and is 3oo times more stable than oxyhemoglobin and
    its effect over health depend on health of the person and surroundings in which he live