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Table 1 Reference Carbon Monoxide levels in humans and various environmental sources

From: Effects of chronic carbon monoxide exposure on fetal growth and development in mice

Subject/Source

CO level

Source

Non smoker

0-1.5% COHb

[10]

Smoker

Up to 14%COHb

[11, 12]

Natural urban air level

1-30 ppm

[15]

Levels found in homes

0.5- 5 ppm

[42]

Cigarette Smoke

20 000-60 000 ppm

[15]

Alveolar Concentration in smoker

300-400 ppm

[15]

Car Exhaust without catalytic converter

30 000- 60 000 ppm

[15]

  1. *Parts per million (ppm) by volume (100 ppm = 0.01% of CO in the air)
  2. *Percent carboxyhemoglobin (%COHb) is the amount of CO bound to total haemoglobin