Gas leak at Blacksburg complex apartment which left nearly two dozen students in a sickened state, seems to be challenging the awareness about the hazards of hydrocarbons, especially Carbon Monoxide (CO).
Twenty Virginia Tech students were sickened by Carbon Monoxide poisoning blamed on a faulty water heater valve at an off-campus apartment complex Sunday. The two most seriously injured persons are still in a serious condition.
This gas is liberated on the combustion of any organic hydrocarbon and its colorless, tasteless and, odorless behavior makes it almost impossible for human senses to detect this’ Silent Killer’.
The most common sources are motor vehicle exhaust, smoke from fires, engine fumes, and none-electric heaters, which are mostly present around us. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that carbon monoxide poisoning claims nearly 500 lives, and causes more than 15,000 visits to hospital emergency departments annually.
This horrifying incident has forced the authorities of various apartments, where the people live to emphasize on the need of installing CO detectors as this monster is capable of creeping into your body without any intimation and can even lead you to neural malfunctioning or even a silent death before you could get any clue of the damage.
Those of you who live in closed indoor apartments, must make yourself aware about the symptoms, causes, and precautions.
It’s very difficult for anyone of us to avoid this gas in everyday life let it be office or your home. Gas is the most common fuel used to fill our energy needs. Therefore, we need to ponder over more renewable electric-energy resources as they produce less harmful substances.
Image Credit: Palatine
Via: TheDailyGreen
