You are exposed to carbon dioxide every day in the air you breathe and in household products, so you might be concerned about carbon dioxide poisoning. Here's the truth about carbon dioxide poisoning and whether it's something you need to worry about.
Can Carbon Dioxide Poison You?At ordinary levels, carbon dioxide or CO2 is non-toxic. It is a normal component of air and so safe it is added to beverages to carbonate them. When you use baking soda or baking powder, you are purposely introducing carbon dioxide bubbles into your food to make it rise. Carbon dioxide is as safe a chemical as any you'll ever encounter.
Then Why the Concern Over Carbon Dioxide PoisoningFirst, it's easy to confuse carbon dioxide, CO2, with carbon monoxide, CO. Carbon monoxide is a product of combustion, among other things, and is extremely toxic. The two chemicals are not the same, but because they both have carbon and oxygen in them and sound similar, some people get confused.
It is possible to suffer anoxia or asphyxiation from breathing carbon dioxide, because increased levels of carbon dioxide may be related to decreased concentration of oxygen, which you need in order to live.
Another potential concern is dry ice, which is the solid form of carbon dioxide. Dry ice generally is not toxic, but it is extremely cold, so if you touch it you risk getting frostbite. Dry ice sublimates into carbon dioxide gas. The cold carbon dioxide gas is heavier than the surrounding air, so the concentration of carbon dioxide near the floor may be high enough to displace oxygen, potentially posing a danger to pets or small children. Dry ice does not pose a significant hazard when it is used in a well-ventilated area.
Carbon Dioxide Intoxication and Carbon Dioxide PoisoningAs the concentration of carbon dioxide increases, people start to experience carbon dioxide intoxication, which may progress to carbon dioxide poisoning and sometimes death. Elevated blood and tissue levels of carbon dioxide are termed hypercapnia and hypercarbia.
Carbon Dioxide Poisoning TreatmentTreatment of carbon dioxide intoxication or carbon dioxide poisoning involves getting carbon dioxide levels back to normal in the patient's bloodstream and tissues. A person suffering from mild carbon dioxide intoxication typically can recover simply by breathing normal air. However, it is important to communicate a suspicion of carbon dioxide intoxication in case the symptoms worsen so that proper medical treatment may be administered. If multiple or serious symptoms are seen, call for emergency medical help. The best treatment is prevention and education, so that conditions of high CO2 levels are avoided and so you know what to watch for if you suspect the levels may be too high.
Reference: EIGA (European Industrial Gases Association, "Carbon Dioxide Physiological Hazards - Not Just an Asphyxiant", retrieved 01/09/2012.
Symptoms of Carbon Dioxide Intoxication and Poisoning
|twitching of muscles|
|increased blood pressure|
|increased pulse rate|
|loss of judgement|
|unconsciousness (occurs in under a minute when CO2 concentration rises about 10%)|