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What are the essential precautions that winter campers should know? | |||
WRITER | 대외협력과 | WRITE DAY | 2021-12-27 |
COUNT | 180 |
What are the essential precautions that winter campers should know? | |||||
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대외협력과 | ![]() |
2021-12-27 | ![]() |
180 |
"Beware of carbon monoxide poisoning while enjoying your winter camping!"
- PKNU and the Busan Metropolitan City Fire Disaster Headquarters announced the results of the CO level test of camping heaters
△ Carbon monoxide level experiment for camping heaters. ⓒPhoto Heo Gwang-Hoon (PR Team)
Pukyong National University and the Busan Metropolitan City Fire Disaster Headquarters announced on December 7 the results of their jointly planned carbon monoxide emission experiment.
To wake up the public about the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning accidents that occur repeatedly every year and to reduce losses of life, the Central Laboratory at Pukyong National University and the Busan Metropolitan City Fire Disaster Headquarters held a carbon monoxide level experiment for camping heating at Pukyong campus from the 3rd to the 7th, for three days.
Carbon monoxide generated during incomplete combustion is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and non-irritating, making it difficult to recognize even if the concentration increases. In addition, it has a 240-fold higher affinity with hemoglobin compared to oxygen, causing hypoxia. Especially, when its concentration reaches 2,000 ppm, a person can die in 1 to 2 hours.
According to data released by the Korea Consumer Agency last year, out of 195 safety accidents at campgrounds that have occurred over the past five years, 'Hazardous symptoms while using heating and cooking appliances' accounted for 30.8% of the 60 cases.
The Central Laboratory at Pukyong National University and the Busan Metropolitan City Fire Disaster Headquarters measured the change in concentration of harmful gases such as carbon monoxide by time period due to the use of 4 types of heating appliances (charcoal, parking heater, portable butane burner, kerosene stove) in an enclosed space with a tent measuring 1.9m×2m×1.5m.
As a result of the experiment, for both hardwood charcoal and charcoal, the alarm was activated at the carbon monoxide concentration of 500ppm or more at the same time as the experiment started. Hardwood charcoal reached 2,040ppm at 17 minutes, charcoal reached 2,000ppm within 2 minutes, and 5,000ppm at 14 minutes.
In the case of the parking heater, the oxygen concentration was measured to be 17.57%, which is below the safe limit (18%), when 10 minutes have elapsed under the assumption of exhaust gas leakage from the exhaust port connection part. At this time, the carbon dioxide concentration was 0.28%, and after 40 minutes, the oxygen was consumed, and it increased rapidly to 0.54%. Harmful gas such as nitric oxide was also measured in diesel combustion gas.
In the two igniters type portable butane burner, after about 30 minutes, the oxygen concentration dropped below the safe limit to 17.3%, and the carbon monoxide concentration steadily increased after 38 minutes, reaching 253ppm around 70 minutes after the experiment. The concentration of carbon monoxide continued to increase in the kerosene stove, and the value of 43 ppm was measured until about 35 minutes from the start of the experiment, and the oxygen level decreased to 17.7% after 10 minutes and to 14.7% after 50 minutes.
Seo Yong-Soo, a researcher who oversees experimental analysis and measurement at the Central Laboratory at Pukyong National University, said, "Charcoal increases carbon monoxide sharply due to incomplete combustion, and parking heaters can cause oxygen shortage due to active combustion. The risk of carbon monoxide poisoning and asphyxiation is very high if you use a heating device in the tent even for a short time. <Pukyong Today>
△ Directing Researcher Seo Yong-Soo is giving a briefing.