描述
Carbon monoxide, with the chemical formula CO, is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas. It is the product of the incomplete combustion of carbon-containing compounds, notably in internal-combustion engines. It consists of one carbon atom covalently bonded to one oxygen atom. It is a gas at room temperature.
Carbon monoxide is a significantly toxic gas and is the most common type of fatal poisoning in many countries.Exposures can lead to significant toxicity of the central nervous system and heart. Following poisoning, long-term sequelae often occur. Carbon monoxide can also have severe effects on the fetus of a pregnant woman. Despite its serious toxicity, CO is extremely useful and underpins much modern technology, being a precursor to a myriad of useful - even life-saving - products.
Carbon monoxide, though thought of as a pollutant today, has always been present in the atmosphere, chiefly as a product of volcanic activity. It occurs dissolved in molten volcanic rock at high pressures in the earth's mantle. Carbon monoxide contents of volcanic gases vary from less than 0.01% to as much as 2% depending on the volcano. It also occurs naturally in bushfires. Because natural sources of carbon monoxide are so variable from year to year, it is extremely difficult to accurately measure natural emissions of the gas. (wikipedia) [HMDB]. Carbon monoxide is found in many foods, some of which are red bell pepper, winter savory, oval-leaf huckleberry, and moth bean.