Carbon monoxide: Sources of emissions
Industry sources
Industrial plants exhaust carbon monoxide to air from the combustion of natural gas, coal or coke. Examples of industrial plants that produce carbon monoxide include: metals (iron, steel, non-ferrous) manufacturing, electricity supply, mining (metal ore, coal), food manufacturing, oil and gas extraction, chemical manufacturing, cement lime, plaster and concrete manufacturing and petroleum refining.
Diffuse sources, and industry sources included in diffuse emissions data
Vehicles (including cars, trucks, aeroplanes, commercial shipping or boating, recreational boating, construction equipment, lawnmowers), fuel burning (for heating in the home, barbeques, bushfires) and cigarettes are thought to be some of the highest sources of diffuse emissions of carbon monoxide.
Natural sources
Carbon monoxide is emitted from volcanoes, marsh gases, natural gases in coal mines, forest fires, and can be produced from lightning. Some marine algae or kelp will produce carbon monoxide, as do some seed germinating processes.
Transport sources
Vehicle exhaust is the single biggest source of carbon monoxide.
Consumer products
No consumer products contain carbon monoxide, however many products will emit carbon monoxide when burned or operated. Such products include: automobiles (exhaust), tobacco (smoke), internal combustion engines (chainsaws, lawnmowers, leaf blowers etc.), non-electric heaters, charcoal grills and woodstoves.
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