Carbon Dioxide

• GENERAL PROPERTY:-

1. Colorless, odorless and has slightly acidic taste.
2. Specific Gravity = 1.519; which is almost one&half times that of air.
3. 100 volume of water dissolving at 15°C with 100 volume of CO₂ and forms a weak acid.

• SOURCES:-

1. Strata emission
2. Oxidation of carbonaceous material.
3. Internal combustion engines.
4. Blasting.
5. Fires.
6. Explosion.
7. Respiration

• PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS:-   CO₂ dilutes oxygen in air and acts as a simulant to the respiratory and central nervous system. Diffusion of gas in blood stream is rapid and it affects the rate of breathing.

Physiological effects of CO2
CO2 Conc.	Effects
0.03%	No effect-it is the normal conc. of CO2 in air.
0.50%	Lung ventilation gets increased by 5%.
2%	Lung ventilation gets increased by 50%.
3%	Lung ventilation gets doubled,heavy breathing or panting or exertion.
5%-10%	Violent panting leading to fatigue from exhaustion(extreme fatigue),headache.
10%-15%	Intolerable panting, severe headache, rapid exhaustion and collapse.

• PERMISSIBLE CONCENTRATION:-   As per Indian Standards (DGMS), CO₂ concentration should not be allowed to exceed 0.5%.

• DETECTION OF CO₂:-

1. M.S.A. universal tester.
2. Drager Multi gas Detector.
3. Auer Gas Taster.