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KMID : 0378019670100120087
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New Medical Journal
1967 Volume.10 No. 12 p.87 ~ p.100
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An Epidemiological Study on Carbon Monoxide Poisoning by the Anthracite Briquette in the Urban Area
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Abstract
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The incidence of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning in Seoul has been increasing annually since the anthracite briquette for domestic heating was introduced. Even this increasing hicidence is probably low for only the severe cases are reported. Two cases or more are often reported on the same day. "Therefore, the climate may be considered as one of the causative factors of the CO poisoning incidence.
The present investigation was an attempt to study the frequency of occurrence and the relation between climate and CO poisoning incidence. The results obtained w-re as follows:
1. The accidents tended to increase especially in winter obviously because of the frequent use of
anthracite briquette. During the period of three years from 1964 to 1966 in Seoul, there were 269
deaths out of 532 casualties from 201 events of the poisoning. Of a total of 128 days of occurrence,
118 days or 95% of the events occurred in winter season.
In considering the place of the poisoning, workshops and lodging houses showed the highest frequency, whereas rented rooms and private homes showed the lowest frequency.
Death and severe CO poisoning incidence occurred regardless of sex. However, the older the age, the higher the frequency of CO poisoning.
2. The 17 episodes of poisoning which involved 50 persons with 23 death suicides were the reason
while in 14 other cases involving 27 persons with 24 deaths carelessness was the cause.
3. CO poisoning events occurred more often on the four warm days of weather cycle but not the
following three cold days because temperature and relative humidity are raised and the wind velocity
and barometric pressure fall. Under these circumstances, the ventilation rate of the room was reduced
and the accumulation rate of CO gas was increased.
4. The natural ventilation rate in a douse of high standards is 1.4 per hour, suggesting that it covers
only 62% of required ventilation, theretore, the possibility of CO poisoning is increased.
.5. Especially, in the winter season, both houses of high and low standards had the air more polluted
than the houses of middle class in general.
6. Exhaust gas contained a higher concentration of carbon monoxide regardless of the shape and/or type of the furnaces, the opening and/or closing of the air inlet, and the a=nount of time required to be burned.
7. The level of saturation of CO-Hb in the blood was extremely high in women exposed to exhaust gas from an anthracite briquette furnace but it was not proportional to the concentration of carbon monoxide in the kitchen.
8. There is the possibility of mild CO poisoning in persons of the city who are not exposed directly to anthracite briquette fumes because the air of a residential area is always polluted with the household exhaust gas.
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