Mathur Manisha, Mathur Gaurang, Mathur Meeta; International Journal of Advance Research, Ideas and Innovations in Technology. © 2017, www.IJARIIT.com All Rights Reserved Page | 224 ISSN: 2454-132X Impact factor: 4.295 (Volume3, Issue2) Available online at www.ijariit.com Assessment of Carbon Monoxide at Traffic Signals, Toll Plazas and in Main Roadside Built Houses and Impact of Its Chronic Exposure on Public Health Manisha Mathur Zoology Department G.N Khalsa College, Matunga manishakmathurs@yahoo.co.in Gaurang Mathur Jaipuriar School, Sanpada researchersgm@hotmail Meeta Mathur Department of Botany Mithibai College, VileParle meet.mat2000@gmail.com ABSTRACT: A survey based citizen Science research of Carbon monoxide levels was conducted in Navi Mumbai, particularly at various Toll Plazas and Traffic signals. Carbon Monooxide levels were assessed in roadside built houses. Carbon monoxide is a product of incomplete combustion of organic matter due to insufficient oxygen supply to enable complete oxidation to carbon dioxide (CO2). It was found out that none of the workers included in this study had any idea about the possibility of CO poisoning due to their working conditions. By conducting interviews, it was concluded that people like policeman,Sweepers, and Shopkeepers having shops on the roadside, are not aware of exposure and hazardous effect of carbon monoxide poisoning on health and even what precautions should be taken to prevent themselves from the diseases and health hazards. According to WHO, the permissible level of Carbon Monoxide in the human body is 1-4ppm.Hence the current study was aimed at the assessment of outdoor Environmental air quality in the ambient air with respect to the quantity of carbon monoxide in ppm and its impact on people residing on highways and on main roads as compared to people residing in Interior locations of the roadside. It's a survey based research where a survey of CO was done and it was found out that people residing on the main road or on highways are suffering from many health problems. Most of the people on highways and main road are suffering from heart problems,breathlessness, and fatigues with depression. The level of CO was found to be more than 25 ppm on traffic signals and highways in which the traffic police stays for more than eight hours a day. A maximum policeman and people residing on main roads, near traffic signals and near toll plazas suffer from depression, fatigue, tiredness, forgetfulness, respiratory problems and with high pulse rate and low oxygen levels. Awareness programs were conducted in various societies and handbills were distributed to many policemen for creating awareness about the health implications due to Carbon Monooxide poisioning. Keywords: Health Implications, Carbon Monoxide, Traffic Signals, Toll Plazas, Road Side Houses. I.INTRODUCTION During daily activities, people encounter Carbon Monoxide in a variety of microenvironments like staying in AC for the entire day or more than 8 hours, especially IT people and people with corporate jobs. Traveling on motor vehicles, cooking and heating with domestic gas, charcoal or wood fires as well as in tobacco smoke most of the CO exposure is due to vehicle and the indoor micro environment. Carbon Monooxide is absorbed through the lungs, and the concentration of carboxyhemoglobin in the blood at any time will depend on several factors. Decreased oxygen uptake and the resultant decreased work capacity under maximal excessive conditions have shown to occur in healthy young adults starting at 5% carboxy haemoglobin and several studies have observed small decrease in work capacity at carboxy haemoglobin levels as low as 2.3-4.3%[1,3] These carboxy haemoglobin levels have many health implications like cardiovascular effects like angina and arrhythmia. Carbon Monooxide is responsible for a large percentage of the accidental poisoning said and deaths reported throughout the world each year[2].Certain conditions exist in both the indoor and outdoor Environments like cooking smoke and vehicular exhaust that cause the small percentage of the population to become exposed to dangerous levels of carbon Monoxide. Outdoor concentrations of CO are highest near the street intersections in congested traffic near exhaust gasses from internal Carbon monoxide absorption in plasma is diffusion-limited and binds 200 to 250 times more avidly to hemoglobin than oxygen, effectively displacing oxygen from heme-binding sites [4]. CO decreases oxygen saturation in a dose-dependent fashion and shifts the oxygen dissociation curve to the left, despite a normal partial pressure of oxygen (PO2). A leftward shift of the oxygen dissociation curve causes decreased binding of oxygen to hemoglobin. In addition to binding to hemoglobin, 10% to 15% of CO binds to other proteins, particularly myoglobin within cardiac muscle.[5] This binding interferes with oxidative phosphorylation, which is necessary for myocardial contraction and impairs intracellular