Carbon Monoxide Safety Levels

Carbon Monoxide Levels in an Occupied Space

Reactions to various levels of CO will differ from person to another,  but the following concentrations and symptoms are typical.

Small children and older people will show symptoms faster and at lower levels.  These CO level symptoms are typical for healthy adults only.

 

1-9 PPM	Maximum allowable short term exposure in a living area.
10-34 PPM	Considered normal from traffic or an unvented stove, but testing should be done to identify the source of the CO and correct it. Long-term exposures to low levels cause far more damage than the few well publicized effects of high-level exposure.
35 PPM	The maximum allowable concentration allowable for an 8-hour period per OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration).
36-99 PPM	Turn off all gas appliances and open windows. Infant deaths have been recorded at these levels.
100 PPM	Discontinue testing and Contact 911. CO levels can increase very rapidly causing extremely unsafe conditions.
200 PPM	Will produce headache, tiredness, dizziness and nausea after 2-3 hours.
800 PPM	Will cause unconsciousness in less than 2 hours, and death in 2-3 hours.
1,600 PPM	Will cause death in 1 hour, symptoms will appear immediately.
12,800 PPM	Will cause death in 1-3 minutes.

©National Comfort Institute 2006/JP Gorman, Inc.

 

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