Why is dry ice dangerous?

Dry ice is different from regular ice in several ways. Find out what makes dry ice so unique -- and why it's so good for transporting perishables over long distances -- in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to brain Stuff from how stuff works dot com
where smart Happens. Hi Am Marshall Brain with today's question,
why is dry ice dangerous? There are two things that
can make dry ice dangerous. The first is its temperature,

(00:22):
and the second is the carbon diox eye gas it
gives off. If you ever have a chance to handle
dry ice, you want to be sure to wear heavy gloves.
The super cold surface temperature can easily damage your skin
if you touch it directly. For the same reason, you
never want to taste or swallow dry ice either. Another
important concern with dry ice is ventilation. You want to

(00:45):
make sure that the area is very well ventilated. Carbon
dioxide is heavier than air and it can concentrate in
low areas or in enclosed spaces like a car or
a room. Normal air is eight percent nitrogen oxygen and
hardly any carbon dioxide at all. If the concentration of

(01:07):
carbon dioxide in the air rises above five, carbon dioxide
can become toxic. Be sure to ventilate any area that
contains dry ice, and do not transport it in a
closed vehicle. Be sure to check out our new video podcast,
Stuff from the Future. Join how Stuff Work staff as
we explore the most promising and perplexing possibilities of tomorrow.

(01:32):
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