"Steve B" wrote in
message news:c0bvf.6904$JT.3204@fed1read06...

"Roy" wrote in message
...
There seems to be differences of opinions on
the properties of carbon
monoxide gas. One source says its heavier than
air another says its
lighter, so.......is it heavier or lighter than
air?

To be honest I rather trust the info from this
forum than various
websites and media types.


It is slightly lighter than air. It also enters
the blood stream around 300 times easier than
oxygen, IIRC from my medical training.

If you suspect you or someone is affected, look
at their nails. Cyanosis, bluing of nailbeds
and lips, is a sign.


Steve, Are you sure about the cyanosis? I was
always taught that the first indication of CO
poisoning was a red face, as the haemoglobin
soaked up the CO preferentially and the reduction
in oxygen content in the blood causes increased
circulation to compensate. I was raised in
Canada, and it was a common cause of accidental
death in the winter. A car would get stuck in the
snow,and the occupants would leave the car
running to keep warm . If the wind was blowing
from behind the car,exhaust fumes would enter the
car through air ducts and kill the passengers
fairly quickly.

Tom