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Don,

> The number of CO molecules is the only thing that has any effect on the
>binding of CO to hemoglobin. Once a binding point has a CO molecule
>it is efectively removed from the pool of possable binding points.
>You can breath the exaust from a compressor, if you let it get in
>the tank you can die. The partial pressures reman the same, the number
>of molecules in your lungs/blood does not.

Sorry, but this is absolutely wrong.  Monoxide binding with hemoglobin
is partial pressure driven and in competetion with oxygen for binding
site on the hemoglobin molecule.

This is the problem with the teaching in basic scuba about monoxide.
The vast majority of diving instructors (and instructor trainers) is 
that they are NOT taught enough physiology to cover competitive binding
at biologic sites, so they are taught broad generalities and platitudes.

Now, for the general diving population, this is not a major problem,
as most students really only need to know that monoxide is bad for
you, and that too much monoxide will kill you. 

However, for those in the technical arena, more detail is helpful,
and the old adage that "a little knowledge will hurt you" is very
true.

John
Submariner Research, Ltd.
(johncrea@de*.co*) 

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