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Family hospitalized after CO exposure

Posted at 7:33 AM, Nov 12, 2012
and last updated 2012-11-12 19:41:27-05

SALT LAKE CITY -- A family of six, including three children, have been hospitalized after exposure to high levels of carbon monoxide Monday morning, according to the Salt Lake City Fire Department.

It happened in a home near 400 East and 2100 South in Salt Lake City.

According to the fire department, the family's water heater was the source of the leak. The family did not have a carbon monoxide detector.

The family had been sick for several days, according to Jasen Asay, Salt Lake City Fire Department. They called 911 just after 5 a.m. Monday when they realized something was wrong.

"A hadardous material crew came in and found high levels of carbon monoxide inside the house, so we called Questar Gas. Their official came and determined that the water heater that is in back of the home was putting in a lot of carbon monoxide that was not being vented out of the home," Asay said.  "I think that the final total was more than 4,000 parts per million and anything more than 25, 35 parts per million for an eight-hour period is considered dangerous."

According to U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, CO concentrations above 150 to 200 ppm can cause disorientation, unconsciousness and possibly death.

Everyone is expected to recover, according to the fire department. They also stressed that people need detectors especially this time of the year and to test all their appliances.