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Carbon Monoxide Awareness Effort Launched After Girl's Death

R S Shankar

The death of 17-year-old Seetha Vemireddy from inhaling carbon monoxide has made the authorities in California and elsewhere to warn people to take precautions against the colorless and odorless gas.

Residents should take precautions before turning on their dormant heaters as cold weather approaches, health officials say.

Seetha's sister, who was 15, had also fainted from inhaling carbon monoxide but doctors were able to save her since she had not inhaled high levels of the gas.

The two sisters, who arrived in America a few months ago, shared a flat with another teenager, who was away the day the gas leaked in their apartment in Berkeley. Over a hundred people had to be evacuated and then sent to shelters or their friends's homes because of the leak.

The parents of the girls lived in another apartment in a neighboring building. Their father, a computer analyst, was working as a kitchen help for an Indian restaurant while looking for a technical job.

Residents are urged to have annual inspections of their fuel-burning appliances, particularly older wall or floor gas furnaces. To play it safe, people are also encouraged to buy carbon monoxide detectors that sound an alarm when dangerous levels of the odorless gas are detected.

The Indian landlord purchased the building in which the girls lived about a year ago. He had apparently not asked for an inspection for leaks and related problems after he had purchased the facility.

It is possible the landlord could face lawsuits.

Every year, accidental carbon monoxide poisoning kills over 320 people in the United States, including an average of 45 Californians, state officials say. Thousands of others become ill from exposure to hazardous levels of the gas.

More than half the deaths are the result of malfunctioning or improperly vented combustion appliances such as gas furnaces and space heaters, according to the California Air Resources Board.

In Seetha Vemireddy's building, a wall-mounted gas heater spread lethal levels of carbon monoxide. Such accidents can be avoided, health officials say, through the proper maintenance and venting of any household appliance that produces a flame.

People who heat with propane appliances, ageing gas furnaces or fireplaces are urged to be especially careful.

Before the temperatures dip, residents should have annual checkups of their gas furnaces by a qualified professional. Utility companies will send a technician to turn on a pilot light or inspect a heating appliance free of charge, board officials said.

Although not required by law like smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors are becoming popular. San Francisco stores are reporting an increase in sales of the devices following Seetha Vemireddy's death.

The devices, which usually range in price from $ 30 to $ 50, plug in to an electrical outlet with a battery backup. They set off an alarm when they detect unsafe levels of carbon monoxide.

Carbon monoxide is known as a silent killer because it can cause someone to pass out without warning. The gas has no color, no odor and no taste. The gas enters the bloodstream and reduces the delivery of oxygen to the body's organs and tissues.

Most health officials say indoor carbon monoxide levels of more than 35 parts per million are unsafe and should be corrected. Last week, officials measured more than 2,000 parts per million in the apartment of Vemireddy girls and in several other units in her building.

Even low-level carbon monoxide exposure can cause flu-like symptoms, health experts say, including nausea, headaches and shortness of breath. People who believe they have been exposed to the poisonous gas are urged to turn off their appliances, get fresh air and seek emergency medical help.

Fuel-burning household appliances, including heaters, furnaces, water heaters and fireplaces, may produce carbon monoxide.

The initial symptoms of poisoning are similar to the flu, including dizziness, nausea and headaches. If you feel any of these symptoms and feel better when you go outside, you may have carbon monoxide poisoning.

Install appliances according to manufacturer's instructions and have heating systems inspected and serviced annually. Check chimneys and vents regularly for improper connections, visible rust or stains.

Never burn charcoal indoors or use the gas range or oven for heating. Never operate unvented gas-burning appliances in a closed room, and never leave a car running in a garage, according to US Environmental Protection Agency guidelines.

Meanwhile, the Vemireddy has received offer of financial support from many Indian American and mainstream American organizations, friends of the family say.

"They are left with one daughter," said an Indian friend of the family. "They should treasure her and give her a good education."

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