Carbon monoxide poisoning by wood pellets

Dangerous carbon monoxide: deaths due to wood pellets

07/21/2014

Wood pellet heaters have an extremely high efficiency and are considered to be environmentally friendly. However, care should be taken when storing the wood pellets, as health problems may arise if stored incorrectly. It has already come to deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Deadly poisoning due to wood pellets
Wood pellet heaters are becoming increasingly popular as they achieve a high efficiency of over 90 percent and are considered to be environmentally friendly. However, if the pellets are stored improperly, they can develop hazardous gases, such as „Süddeutsche.de“ reported. According to the report, the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) warns that the long-lived heating rods can release the highly toxic gas carbon monoxide (CO). Altogether, the authorities in Europe and America were aware of 14 deadly poisonings by people who had been in wood pellet storage for too long. In Germany, at least two fatal accidents have occurred in recent years.

Carbon monoxide escapes during storage
Wood pellets as a renewable energy source are regarded as sustainable, climate-neutral fuel for heating systems and stoves. However, during their production, especially when crushing and drying the wood, chemical processes are set in motion and gas escapes continuously during storage, such as carbon monoxide, writes „Süddeutsche.de“. These substances can be in closed spaces, so-called „pellet bunkers“, accumulate and lead to life-threatening poisoning. Since CO is colorless, odorless and tasteless, victims often do not notice anything until they faint.

Even small plants can pose a risk
As the BfR announced, this danger „many homeowners and operators of heating systems“ not known. But a death from Switzerland shows that already small installations, as they are often installed in single-family homes, could pose a danger. „Homeowners must ventilate pellet storage rooms thoroughly“, such a speaker of the institute. It is not enough to leave only one door open to better ventilated basements, because the CO could get into rooms in which people often stay. It is also insufficient to ventilate only briefly before entering the pellet store.

Correct storage of wood pellets
Experts recommend that you should instead leave permanently a cellar window open or let install an electrical ventilation. In addition, warnings are also useful. The BfR also recommends that similar precautions be taken when storing woodchips. The Arbeitsschutz Sachsen has compiled a recommendation for the correct storage of wood pellets.

Risk of carbon monoxide even when grilling and smoking
Even in low concentrations of 200 particles per million air molecules (ppm), carbon monoxide can cause headaches. And from 800 ppm to dizziness, nausea and vomiting or fainting, as the report says. Experts already measured carbon monoxide concentrations of several thousand ppm in the room air of pellet storage rooms. In addition to the risk of the fuel, carbon monoxide poisoning can also threaten when grilling, when the toxic gases enter the apartment. In addition, the intake of carbon monoxide, tar, nicotine and other pollutants in smoking leads to increased cancer of the pharynx and larynx, the esophagus and the lungs. In addition, CO can damage the inner skin of the blood vessels and thereby promote arteriosclerosis. (Ad)

Picture: Dr. Klaus-Uwe Gerhardt