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Human Practices

Integrated Human Practices

Carbon monoxide is the "silent killer", undetectable (tasteless, colourless, and odorless) without detection technology (“Carbon”). This makes carbon monoxide poisoning difficult to prevent since it is a product of combustion of organic matter in restricted oxygen conditions. Contact with 0.16% of carbon monoxide can cause death in less than 2 hours with a side effect of headaches, nausea, and increased heart rate. The carbon monoxide manifests in oxygen-dependent organ systems, the central nervous system, and the circulatory system. It combines with the hemoglobin in the blood, forming carboxyhemoglobin, decreasing the oxygen-carrying ability of the hemoglobin (and the blood in general), and causing hypoxic tissue injury. Carbon monoxide also binds to myoglobin and cytochome oxydase, impairing its' ability to utilise oxygen. This causes cells to switch to anaerobic fermentation respiration which increases chances of anoxia, lactic acidosis, and eventual cell death.

Following natural disasters, homes often lose power and must turn to alternate forms of energy for fuel and energy for food and heat (“Preventing”). During power outages, generators, grills and devices that use gasoline, propane, and charcoal are commonly used, and these can output CO into the environment. This can allow CO to build up and poison people and pets. In fact, 400 Americans died last year from accidental CO poisoning.

For instance of real life application, in the five days following Hurricane Rita, a total 21 people were affected by CO poisoning in the area around Beaumont, Texas (Cukor). These injuries were largely due to portable generators placed indoors or near the intake systems of home air conditioners. Of those 21, five were fatally affected, one became brain dead, two were moved to hospitalization, and the other 13 were treated and soon released.

With these considerations in mind, we have engineered our CO sensor so that it can continue to alert people of high amounts of CO in the air regardless of the power source availability. It will continue to run without needing outlet or batteries. It’s similar to a digital sensors, but optochemical instead of electrochemical. Usually, these sensors offer lower levels of protection, but can be lower cost in the market. Generating only qualitative data and using senses instead of numbers, this sensor is easier to comprehend. In addition, the scent aspect of our sensor is a substitute for sound based sensors that works better for those who lack hearing.

Education and Public Engagement

We shared our project idea as well as basic synthetic biology concepts with the public through interviews with KXAN and KUT radio.

KXAN: http://kxan.com/2015/07/29/lasa-students-developing-bacteria-to-improve-carbon-monoxide-detectors/

KUT: http://txst.us/1I7jW9R

Works Cited

"Carbon Monoxide Poisoning." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 13 Sept. 2015.

Cukor, Jeffery, and Marc Restuccia. "Carbon Monoxide Poisoning during Natural Disasters: The Hurricane Rita Experience." The Journal of Emergency Medicine 33.3 (2007): 261-64. US National Library of Medicine. National Institute of Health, 5 July 2007. Web. 13 Sept. 2015.

"Preventing Carbon Monoxide Poisoning After an Emergency." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. US Department of Health & Human Services, 20 June 2014. Web. 13 Sept. 2015.