Keeping Windows Closed for Cool Air While Using Air Conditioner: This Action Could Be Fatal in Just 3 Minutes

Cooking with Air Conditioner On and Windows Closed Can Lead to Poisoning Accidents
"Even if You Want to Keep the Cool Air, Open the Windows While Cooking for Safety"

With the ongoing heatwave, many households are keeping their air conditioners on and windows closed. While this is a measure to block out the hot and humid air from outside, incomplete combustion can occur in such enclosed environments during activities like grilling meat or prolonged cooking, which increases the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Air conditioner. Getty Images Bank

Carbon monoxide is a gas produced when fuels containing carbon undergo incomplete combustion. It is difficult to detect because it has no color, smell, taste, or irritant properties. Everyday cooking appliances such as boilers, charcoal grills, and gas stoves can easily produce carbon monoxide. The problem is that it can have fatal effects on the human body.

Exposure to carbon monoxide can cause initial symptoms such as headache, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting. These symptoms can worsen to include paralysis, decreased consciousness, and difficulty breathing. At high concentrations, carbon monoxide is a dangerous gas that can cause death within minutes. At concentrations below 0.02%, it may only cause mild headaches, but even at levels below 0.16%, it can be fatal within two hours. At a concentration of 1.28%, it can be lethal in just 1 to 3 minutes.

In enclosed environments, incomplete combustion can occur during grilling meat or prolonged cooking, increasing the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, so special caution is required. Photo by Pixabay

While carbon monoxide poisoning is commonly associated with the use of heaters or coal briquettes at campsites in winter, in reality, it frequently occurs in homes and restaurants during the summer as well. If a room is not properly ventilated while the air conditioner is running, harmful gases produced during cooking cannot escape, which can lead to accidents. In fact, carbon monoxide poisoning incidents continue to occur repeatedly even during the summer.

Experts advise that ventilation is essential during cooking, even if you are concerned about losing cool air. A medical professional emphasized, "Smoke produced during cooking can not only cause carbon monoxide poisoning but also negatively affect lung health in the long term," adding, "Opening windows for regular ventilation is the minimum safety measure you can take."

It is also helpful for prevention to keep a commercially available carbon monoxide detector at home to continuously monitor the concentration of harmful gases. By following just these two rules?ventilation and detection?you can greatly reduce the risk of carbon monoxide accidents during summer cooking.