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What mass of carbon monoxide can be removed from air by a respirator?

User Pitamer
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Final answer:

The exact mass of carbon monoxide that a respirator can remove from air cannot be specified without details on the respirator's specifications. Treatments for carbon monoxide poisoning include administering 100 percent oxygen, which helps displace carbon monoxide from hemoglobin.

Step-by-step explanation:

The mass of carbon monoxide (CO) that can be removed from air by a respirator cannot be determined without specific details about the respirator's capacity and efficiency. However, the concentration of carbon monoxide in environments can be reduced through the use of a respirator, and treatment for exposure to carbon monoxide typically involves the administration of 100 percent oxygen to the affected individual. This oxygen therapy is efficient because oxygen has a much higher affinity for hemoglobin than carbon monoxide, which helps in displacing the carbon monoxide from carboxyhemoglobin back to hemoglobin, thus restoring the oxygen transport capacity of the blood. Carbon dioxide (CO2) administration wouldn't work as a treatment because it doesn't compete with carbon monoxide for the binding sites on hemoglobin, and it doesn't aid in oxygen transport.

User Luis Meraz
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