Is carbon harmful to the body?

Carbon is something we often come into contact with in our daily lives. It is something that cannot be seen or touched. Sometimes, if we are not careful, we will suffer from carbon poisoning, which is particularly harmful to the human body. Carbon poisoning is likely to occur in areas in the north where stoves are burned. This requires us to pay close attention. So, is carbon harmful to the body? Let’s learn more about it through the following introduction.

Pure carbon is a colorless, refractive, flammable liquid with no odor. The industrial product is yellow and has an extremely unpleasant odor. The liquid density is 1.26 g/cm3, the boiling point is 46.3°C, the melting point is -108.6°C, it is extremely volatile, its vapor is 1.6 times heavier than air, it is flammable and toxic, and can form an explosive mixture in the air. It is almost insoluble in water, but soluble in solutions of caustic soda and alkali sulfide, and miscible with alcohol, ether, benzene, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride and oils.

Carbon is an excellent organic solvent with a wide range of industrial uses. It is corrosive to metals and wood. Therefore, during the manufacturing and use process, it often causes leakage, bubbling, dripping and leaking due to equipment corrosion, leading to environmental pollution and poisoning accidents.

Carbon can invade the human body through the respiratory tract, skin, and digestive tract. It is a poison to the nervous system that can inhibit enzyme activity, affect lipoprotein metabolism, and cause cardiovascular disease. Long-term exposure to low concentrations of carbon can cause chronic poisoning, resulting in diseases such as dullness, insomnia, memory loss, multiple neuritis, and atherosclerosis. Short-term exposure to high concentrations of carbon vapor can cause acute poisoning. In mild cases, there will be headache, dizziness, nausea and mental symptoms; in severe cases, there will be intense excitement first, followed by loss of consciousness, disappearance of pupil reflexes, and even death.

Through the above introduction, we know that carbon is harmful to the body, and it is an invisible and colorless harm. Especially users who use stoves for heating at home must pay attention. After carbon poisoning occurs, we must immediately open the windows for ventilation, let the patient go to a well-ventilated place, and also need to be sent to the hospital for treatment immediately.