- The discovery of the existence of carbon dioxide is credited to Jan Baptista van Helmont, a Flemish scientist, in approximately 1630, according to scienceclarified.com. Scottish scientist Joseph Black is noted for identifying carbon dioxide as an atmospheric gas.
- Carbon dioxide has no color or smell at room temperature, nor is it flammable, reports lenntech.com. When converted to a solid at very low temperatures, it is known as dry ice.
- Carbon dioxide has a number of commercial uses including refrigeration, in carbonated drinks, fire extinguishers and in the decaffeination process of coffee. Carbon dioxide is also necessary for plants to perform photosynthesis.
- Carbon dioxide is also considered to be a greenhouse gas, notes lenntech.com. The additional carbon dioxide emissions from automobiles, manufacturing processes and energy production are believed to be contributing to increases in global temperatures.
- While carbon dioxide does contribute to maintaining human health by maintaining the pH balance of blood, it can lead to suffocation when the concentration is too high, according to lenntech.com.
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