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Abstract
The carbon monoxide (CO) sources of carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) in the St. Louis metropolitan population are primarily smoking (first) and industrial work exposure (second). The mean COHb saturations of the population studied were the following: total (16,649)–2.30%; smokers (6,492)–4.58%; nonsmokers (10,157)– 0.85%; smoking industrial workers (1, 738)–5.01%; nonsmoking industrial workers (1, 523)–1.38%; smoking other persons (4, 754)–4.42%; nonsmoking other persons (8, 634)–0.75%. Study samples were obtained from 16, 649 individual blood donors of the Red Cross blood program during a one-year period. The COHb saturation was correlated with smoking histories, travel, and socioeconomic data obtained during phlebotomy. Air-monitoring data were obtained from governmental agencies. Ambient air exposure produces very small increases in COHb levels in this regional population, as does increase in travel time or distance to donor site. These results indicate a need to reassess the environmental sources of CO in relation to national clean air standards.
