Carbon Monoxide What Is It? Carbon Monoxide is a gas or liquid, but most of the time it is a gas. It results from incomplete oxidation of carbon in combustion. Carbon Monoxide can be very dangerous and it is something do not want to have in their homes. How Does It Form? Carbon Monoxide comes from boilers, furnaces, wood stoves, fire places, generators, automobile exhaust, tobacco smoke and other gasoline powered equipment. Also, if gas pipes have a crack Carbon Monoxide can get into your home. Effects In Us And The Enviroment. Carbon Monoxide causes impaired vision and other conditions, such as headaches, dizziness, confusion and nausea. Flu-like symptoms accure when a person is exposed to Carbon Monoxide, but the symptoms clear up after leaving the building that contains the gas. At high concentrations, Carbon Monoxide can be fatal. Most people that died from this gas were sleeping. What We Can Do To Prevent or Reduce Carbon Monoxide. Carbon Monoxide detectors are like smoke detectors except it does not alarm you when there is smoke, instead it alarms you when there is carbon monoxide. Carbon Monoxide detectors should be in every building. To prevent the gas from going through your house, don't use a generator, charcoal grills, camp stoves, or other gasoline or charcoal burning devices inside your house, basement, garage, or near a window. Don't keep your car or truck running inside a garage attached to your house. Dont burn anything in an unvented stove or fireplace. Also, dont heat your house with a gas oven. Return to the top of the page