Carbon Monoxide’s Invisible Threat & The Hidden Hazards Of Burning Gas Indoors - CleanTechnica

The article from CleanTechnica highlights the serious and often invisible dangers of carbon monoxide (CO) exposure from burning methane gas indoors. It opens with the personal story of Lynne from Santa Monica, who experienced severe symptoms such as headaches, nausea, dizziness, and difficulty breathing during a cold spell. Her illness was ultimately traced to dangerously high indoor CO levels caused by a malfunctioning gas heater, discovered only after replacing the batteries in her carbon monoxide detector. This case underscores the stealthy nature of CO poisoning, as the gas is odorless and colorless, making it difficult to detect without proper alarms. The article explains that methane gas combustion releases a mix of hazardous pollutants, including benzene and carbon monoxide. CO is particularly dangerous because it accumulates indoors from gas-powered appliances like furnaces, stoves, fireplaces, and water heaters, especially when these are faulty or poorly ventilated. In the U.S., CO poisoning results in over 20,000 emergency room visits and more than 400 deaths