By Helen G. Porter Santa Monica
In the past some writers have made erroneous statements about green plants. One was that plants thrive under large amounts of carbon monoxide. Plants manufacture their nutrients by a process called photosynthesis. In this process they take in carbon dioxide, water, minerals from the soil or when fed, as yard plants, use sunlight as the source of energy and also their chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is a catalyst which helps the reaction. In turn, plants give off oxygen and we are the recipients of that gas. It would be incorrect to say that they use carbon. When humans or any oxygen using being breathes in oxygen they exhale carbon dioxide and the respiratory cycle is complete and we all benefit.
A plant that would be exposed to carbon monoxide constantly would die.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 21, 2008. Read the original PDF.