10 Facts About CO₂ and Why Monitoring Matters

We know carbon dioxide monitoring isn’t the most exciting subject in the world, but it’s what we do best, and we take pride in helping protect people from potentially fatal gas leaks.

So, here are some interesting facts about carbon dioxide that you may not already know.

What Are Some Interesting Facts About Carbon Dioxide?

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is a colorless, odorless gas naturally present in the atmosphere at low concentrations. While essential to processes such as brewing, food production, and plant growth, elevated CO₂ levels can become dangerous in enclosed or industrial environments.

Industries including breweries, laboratories, restaurants, and food production facilities commonly use or store CO₂, making effective gas monitoring essential for maintaining safe working conditions.

Why Carbon Dioxide Is More Important Than Most People Realize

Carbon dioxide is often associated with climate change, but it also plays a vital role across many industries, including:

Food and beverage production
Medical and laboratory applications
Agriculture and cultivation
Industrial processing

At the same time, CO₂ can also be a hidden hazard because:

It cannot be seen, smelled, or tasted
It can accumulate unnoticed
Elevated concentrations can be harmful, or even fatal

It is this combination of everyday use and hidden risk that makes effective CO₂ monitoring so important.

10 Interesting Facts About Carbon Dioxide

1. Carbon Dioxide Is Known Differently Around the World

Carbon dioxide may be a universal gas, but it is referred to differently depending on the country or language. For example:

Sweden: koldioxid
China: 二氧化碳
Estonia: süsinikdioksiid
Netherlands: kooldioxide

Despite the different names, the properties and risks of CO₂ remain the same wherever it is used.

2. Carbon Dioxide Exists Naturally in the Air We Breathe

CO₂ is naturally present in the atmosphere at around 0.04% concentration. At these low levels, it poses no risk and monitoring is generally unnecessary.

However, in enclosed or poorly ventilated environments, CO₂ concentrations can rise quickly, especially in areas where the gas is stored, produced, or used.

3. CO₂ Levels Rise in Crowded Spaces

Every time we breathe in, we take in oxygen, and every time we breathe out, we release carbon dioxide. This means CO₂ levels in enclosed spaces naturally increase over time.

Think about how you feel in a crowded indoor environment with poor ventilation. As CO₂ concentrations rise, air quality decreases and people may begin to feel tired, less alert, or uncomfortable.

While these situations are not usually dangerous, they demonstrate how quickly CO₂ can accumulate without proper ventilation.

4. Carbon Dioxide Cannot Be Detected by Human Senses

CO₂ is often referred to as a silent hazard because it cannot be detected without specialist monitoring equipment. It has:

No color
No smell
No taste

5. Carbon Dioxide Helps Plants Grow

Remember school biology lessons? CO₂ is essential for photosynthesis. Plants use carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight to produce the energy needed for growth.

In commercial growing environments such as greenhouses and indoor agriculture facilities, CO₂ levels are often increased to help improve crop growth and productivity. However, these elevated concentrations must be carefully monitored to avoid damaging plants or creating unsafe conditions for personnel working nearby.

6. Carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide are not the same

These two gases are often confused, but they are very different and using the wrong type of gas detector can lead to dangerous situations.

Feature	Specification
Measurement range	0 to 100 %rh
Measurement accuracy	± 3.0 %rh over 10 to 90% RH range (@25 °C). Up to ± 4% RH over entire operating range (@25 °C)
Measurement resolution	0.2% RH
Measurement drift	< 0.5% RH/year

7. Dry Ice Is Solid Carbon Dioxide

Dry ice, commonly used for refrigeration, special effects, cleaning, and food or drink preparation, is simply frozen CO₂.

As dry ice warms, it changes directly from a solid into a gas through a process called sublimation. This can cause CO₂ concentrations to rise rapidly in enclosed spaces.

For this reason, dry ice should always be handled carefully and used in well-ventilated environments.

8. Carbon Dioxide Is Used to Dispense Beer

Most people know CO₂ is used to carbonate drinks, but it is also used to push beer from kegs to taps during dispensing.

In bars, pubs, and restaurants, carbon dioxide is commonly stored in confined spaces such as cellars. If leaks occur and are not properly monitored, CO₂ can quickly accumulate and create dangerous conditions.

9. Carbon Dioxide Can Be Used in Cleaning Processes

Research has shown that carbon dioxide vapor can be used in specialized cleaning and freezing applications to help remove allergens and contaminants such as dust mites from furnishings and materials.

CO₂ is also widely used in industrial cleaning techniques, including dry ice blasting and precision surface cleaning applications.

10. Carbon Dioxide Can Be Used to Put Out Fires

CO₂ is commonly used in fire extinguishers, typically identified by a black label, because it displaces oxygen and helps prevent combustion.

However, in enclosed spaces, this same process can reduce oxygen to unsafe levels and create a serious risk to nearby personnel due to the high concentrations of carbon dioxide released.

CO₂ Calculator

Many people believe an oxygen (O₂) monitor alone is enough to stay safe when using carbon dioxide (CO₂). In reality, CO₂ is a toxic gas, and dangerous concentrations can be reached long before an O₂ alarm activates.

As CO₂ leaks into an area, it displaces oxygen. However, most O₂ monitors only trigger alarms at around 19.5% O₂, by which point CO₂ levels may already be hazardous.

If your facility uses CO₂, a dedicated CO₂ monitor is essential. It provides earlier warning of leaks, helping protect personnel, reduce product loss, and minimize costly CO₂ waste.

Use this calculator to see how changing CO₂ concentrations affect surrounding oxygen levels.

Ambient CO2 level