I think there's a potential risk of asphyxiation from CDR equipment. This is likely to be most relevant to those working on it, but could also cause problems in the open air if high removal rates are used.
The human body uses blood pH to trigger the breathing reflex. In highly CO2-depleted air, that response is depressed. It's not likely that low-CO2 alone would be a significant risk, but there's a chance that CO2 scrubbers could be used in hypoxic air. For example, if there was a scrubber by a traffic jam on a very still day in a city with a temperature inversion due to weather conditions, it's possible that local pockets of hypoxic air could exist. Normally, these hypoxic air pockets would be very high in CO2, so everyone would be panting like hot dogs trying to normalize their blood pH. However, with a big fat scrubber next to them, the blood pH would be normal - even if blood oxygen was dangerously low. Unlike animals that live in burrows, humans can't sense deoxygenated air - they just drop down like a stone with no warning. This is, I admit, a bit far fetched - but certainly for people working on the plant it's a non-negligible risk. This is particularly the case on still days with nearby combustion, such as bonfires, traffic, or chimney stacks. It may be prudent to use wearable hypoxia alarms when near the outlet of a scrubber. I'd hate someone to have a nasty accident and end up bashing their head on the way down - or worse!!! A -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "geoengineering" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/geoengineering?hl=en. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
