yes, somewhat far fetched but nonetheless there could be a potential problem. Well spotted.
On Thursday, January 31, 2013 2:21:00 AM UTC, andrewjlockley wrote: > > 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.
