[Public Voices] The Nightmare of Briquette Gas Poisoning Returns

Hundreds Lost Their Lives to Carbon Monoxide Until the 1960s
Fatal Accidents Still Occur in the 21st Century Due to Stoves and Burners Used While Camping
No Cure Except High-Concentration Oxygen Therapy for Poisoning...
Never Use Fire Sources in Enclosed Spaces

Professor Deokhwan Lee, Sogang University

Carbon monoxide poisoning accidents continue to occur. These absurd incidents mainly happen while using fire sources for cooking or heating in camping tents or cars used for car camping. Household gas boilers that have been left unattended for a long time are also problematic. Accidents occur when the flue is blocked or the connection parts become loose. Although anyone can experience this if they are careless, it is truly unfortunate accidents that can be easily prevented with just basic common sense.

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, tasteless, odorless, and non-irritating gas that is highly toxic to the human body. Carbon monoxide has an affinity for hemoglobin in red blood cells that is 240 times greater than oxygen, binding tightly and blocking oxygen supply to cells. Symptoms such as headache, nausea, vomiting, tinnitus, and difficulty breathing appear. If symptoms are not immediately treated with high-concentration oxygen, it can be fatal.

Carbon monoxide poisoning is not unfamiliar. The "yeontan gas poisoning" from the days when briquettes were used as fuel for cooking and heating was caused by carbon monoxide. Until the late 1960s, when traditional ondol heating directly heated the floor with briquette heat, everyone was constantly exposed to the dangers of yeontan gas. It was even unsafe during summer because briquettes had to be used for cooking rice, boiling soup or stew, and grilling fish.

There was no special antidote either. In mild cases, drinking a bowl of dongchimi (radish water kimchi) broth was the only remedy. If a hospital equipped with an "oxygen therapy device" was not nearby, the only option was to open doors and windows wide and hope for the best. Hundreds of people lost their lives to yeontan gas poisoning every year.

We began to overcome the fear of yeontan gas starting in the 1970s. This was thanks to the development of the "Saemaeul boiler," which replaced traditional ondol with circulating hot water through copper pipes. As electricity supply improved, more households installed "yeontan gas exhaust devices" to forcibly expel yeontan gas through chimneys. However, the inconvenience and danger of changing briquettes several times a day remained. Fortunately, the advent of kerosene, LPG (liquefied petroleum gas), and LNG (liquefied natural gas) allowed us to forget the painful memories of yeontan gas poisoning.

That said, the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning has not completely disappeared. Carbon monoxide can be generated whenever carbon-containing fuels are burned. Firewood, charcoal, briquettes, kerosene, LPG, LNG, and alcohol all fall into this category. Special caution is required especially when burning fuel indoors. The oxygen concentration in indoor air decreases much faster than expected, increasing the possibility of incomplete combustion. The rate at which carbon monoxide produced during fuel combustion accumulates indoors is also a concern.

It is a rule not to use fire sources in enclosed indoor spaces. If it is unavoidable to use fire sources indoors, windows must be kept open or ventilation fans used. This applies not only to gas stoves used in kitchens but also to small butane gas heaters and portable burners. Fire sources must never be used in camping tents or cars used for car camping. Carbon monoxide detectors cannot be fully trusted either.

Household gas boilers also require caution. Gas boilers must be installed in well-ventilated places. Regular checks to ensure that the flue is not blocked and that there are no gaps in connection parts are essential to prevent accidents.

Lee Deokhwan (Professor Emeritus, Sogang University, Chemistry & Science Communication)