Is Your Goose Cooked? The Potential Health Impacts of CO2 Pipeline Ruptures – Part 2
Pipeline Fighters HUB
Part 2
By: Paul Blackburn,
Sept. 25, 2024
Introduction
This is the second of a four-part blog series about carbon dioxide (CO2) pipeline ruptures. It focuses on the potential health impacts of CO2 pipeline ruptures. The other blogs in this series cover:
- 1: Chasing a Wild Goose Egg: Understanding Computer Plume Modeling for Carbon Dioxide Pipeline Ruptures (The basics of CO2 pipeline ruptures and the need to know the danger zone following a rupture – Sept. 23, 2024)
- 2: Is Your Goose Cooked? The Potential Health Impacts of CO2 Pipeline Ruptures (Sept. 25, 2024)
- 3: A Tale of Perfect Goose Eggs: CO2 Plume Computer Modeling Options (The computer models available to predict the size of danger zones for CO2 pipeline ruptures – Sept. 30, 2024)
- 4: Good for the Goose, Good for the Gander: Who Should Have Access to Plume Modeling for CO2 Pipeline Ruptures? (Public access to CO2 pipeline rupture computer modeling and industry and government efforts to keep it secret – Nov. 2, 2024)
The goal of this series is to help current and potential future neighbors of CO2 pipelines access technology that can help them understand whether or not they are at risk. Much thanks to Dr. Kathleen Campbell for this joint writing collaboration on health issues.
What Are the Possible Health Effects of CO2 Pipeline Ruptures?
The effect of CO2 exposure on different individuals depends on a variety of factors, including CO2 concentration, the duration of exposure, and a victim’s preexisting medical conditions. At the same CO2 concentration over the same period of time, some people may remain conscious while others may not. At high concentrations, CO2 gas can immediately disable and then kill within minutes – your goose would be cooked. At moderate concentrations, CO2 gas can cause unconsciousness and seizures. At relatively low concentrations, CO2 can still intoxicate and cause confusion and hearing and vision loss, which could result in injuries or even fatalities for those who are, for example, driving, using dangerous machinery, or outside in dangerous weather conditions. Below is a table of health effects from the USEPA. There are many similar tables from the government, industry, scientific, and commercial sources.