According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hundreds of people die each year from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning in the US, and thousands more are hospitalized. Between 2016 and 2020, Alaska, Nebraska, and West Virginia had the highest death rates from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning.
How many people die from carbon monoxide poisoning each year?
In 2022, 1,244 people in the US died from carbon monoxide poisoning, according to provisional CDC data. Of those deaths, 624 were accidental and 579 were suicides.[1] There were also 511 deaths where carbon monoxide was involved, but wasn't the actual cause of death; most of those were fire-related.
Are more people dying from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning?
More people died from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning in 2022 than any year since at least 1999. The number of deaths increased 85.7% from 2012 to 2022.
With the frequency of natural disasters increasing, the Federal Emergency Management Agency notes that many Americans now use portable generators due to power outages — despite “serious health and safety concerns,” including carbon monoxide poisoning. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) concludes that portable generators are associated with 40% of carbon monoxide deaths related to consumer products since 2009.
How many carbon monoxide deaths are linked to consumer products?
The CPSC estimates that 250 carbon monoxide deaths in 2019 were related to consumer products under its jurisdiction, including portable generators and heating products.[2] Accidental carbon monoxide poisoning deaths from consumer products increased by 69% from 2009 to 2019.
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The 2019 death toll of 250 was the highest in a decade, up from 148 in 2009. A majority of these deaths (84%) happened between September and April, which CPSC attributes to increased use of furnaces and portable heaters during winter and in transition months.
The CPSC also notes that some Americans die due to poisoning from non-consumer products, such as cars left running in attached garages.
Which states have the most carbon monoxide deaths?
From 2016 to 2020, Alaska had the highest death rate from accidental, non-fire-related carbon monoxide poisoning, at 0.8 deaths per 100,000 people. California had the highest total number of deaths, at 170.
How many people seek medical treatment for carbon monoxide poisoning?
According to the CDC, more than 100,000 people visit an emergency room for accidental carbon monoxide poisoning every year, with more than 14,000 hospitalized.
How does air pollution affect carbon monoxide levels?
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) data shows that the amount of carbon monoxide in the atmosphere declined 88% from 1980 to 2022 as air quality improved overall in the US. National air quality has improved over the past several decades due to federal and state regulations on vehicles and factories.
Outdoors, carbon monoxide is unlikely to reach the high levels of concentration that lead to poisoning. Still, the EPA warns that elevated levels of carbon monoxide outdoors can pose a danger to people with certain kinds of heart disease.
Which regions have the most carbon monoxide in the air?
In 2022, the Ohio Valley region had the highest concentrations of carbon monoxide in the air, averaging 2.5 parts per million. States in this federally defined climate region include Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri. The rest of the US averaged between 0.9 and 1.35 parts per million.
Often called a “silent killer,” carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that can build up to dangerous levels in a home without warning.
Carbon monoxide poisoning is a severe medical condition that results from breathing in large concentrations of carbon monoxide. Symptoms are often flu-like, including headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. (Fever is not commonly associated with carbon monoxide poisoning.)
Carbon monoxide poisoning can be fatal, and the CDC cautions that people who inhale it while asleep or drunk can die before experiencing symptoms.
Carbon monoxide poisoning happens when large concentrations of carbon monoxide build up indoors. Burning fuel — including gasoline, wood, charcoal, oil, kerosene, and propane — produces fumes that can include carbon monoxide. Standard household products such as vehicles, stoves, generators, lanterns, fireplaces, and furnaces can also produce carbon monoxide, which builds up quickly indoors during a fire.
The CPSC reported that in 2019, generators were the product most frequently associated with carbon monoxide deaths. 47% of carbon monoxide deaths from consumer products were associated with exhaust from gasoline-powered tools.
When exposed to extreme levels of carbon monoxide, poisoning and death can happen suddenly. Carbon monoxide can also build up in an enclosed space and cause poisoning over time — the specific length depends on such factors as space size and air concentration.
The EPA cautions that prolonged exposure to even low levels of carbon monoxide can cause long-term health issues, including long-term neurological damage such as “learning and memory impairments, emotional and personality effects, and sensory and motor disorders” -— even if the person experiences none of the common symptoms.
The CDC recommends installing a carbon monoxide detector in your home, preferably one that’s battery-powered or has a battery backup in case of power failure, and replacing it every five years.
Other prevention steps include:
- Having heating systems, water heaters, and other fuel-burning appliances inspected by a professional each year,
- Ensuring the correct ventilation of gas appliances, and
- Having chimneys checked and/or cleaned each year.
The CDC also recommends never using a stove or oven for heating the home, and never using a generator, portable gas camp stove, or portable flameless chemical heater indoors. Generators should be operated more than 20 feet from a window or door, with exhaust pointed away from a building.
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[1] The remaining 41 deaths come from other non-accidental causes of death with some other intent than suicide.
[2] The report notes that data for 2018 and 2019 is preliminary, as data collection was not yet complete at the time of publication.
