1,000,000+ Americans Get poisoned by CO each year. Only 400 Die.
The Real Danger of CO Isn't Death, It's Chronic Health Damage, Here's what the research says, and why it matters for you and your family:
There were 100,000 documented CO poisoning cases in America last year. But these are only the documented cases. These are people who were severely poisoned and ended up in the emergency room. But for people living with low-level exposure, the ones never sick enough for the doctor to suspect and run a CO blood test, experts believe the real number is 50-100x bigger. Somewhere between 5 and 10 million people.
See, a low-level CO leak isn't rare. It doesn't require an old or broken appliance. Just a tiny hairline crack or a ventilation issue is enough to chronically build up unhealthy CO levels in your home.
CDC CO Poisoning Surveillance Data
Research from the CDC, WHO, and peer-reviewed cardiovascular studies shows that CO begins affecting the human body at 9 PPM. At these levels, CO binds to hemoglobin and begins displacing oxygen throughout your body. Leading to chronic symptoms:
Chronic Fatigue
Brain Fog & Cognitive Decline
Persistent Headaches & Migraines
Sleep Disorders
Mood Disorders & Anxiety
Cardiovascular Stress
Weakened Immune System
And a list of other health problems.
CDC CO Health Data; WHO Air Quality Guidelines; Bell et al., Circulation 2009
Chronic low-level CO exposure produces symptoms that are nearly identical to a dozen common conditions - stress, burnout, depression, chronic fatigue, seasonal allergies, and anxiety. When you bring these symptoms to a doctor, CO poisoning is almost never on the differential. Especially when CO just makes your existing disease worse. So patients get diagnosed with something else.
One peer-reviewed study screened patients presenting to emergency departments with flu-like symptoms, and found that 23.8% of them were simply chronically poisoned by CO.
Journal of Emergency Medicine; Wright, "Chronic and Occult Carbon Monoxide Poisoning," 2002
While children absorb CO up to 3x faster than adults, the consequences don't always show up right away. Adults tend to feel symptoms quickly because their bodies are already in a state of natural decline, and CO just accelerates that process. Children, however, are at their biological peak. Their bodies compensate. Research shows the effects only become measurable years later. Resulting in severe health issues or health decline years or decades before they should have appeared.
Dix-Cooper et al., Neurotoxicology 2012; Ritz & Yu, Environmental Health Perspectives
99% of CO detectors sold in America are built to the same standard set in 1992. Under that standard, manufacturers are not required to detect or display anything below 70 PPM. So they don't. Not because the technology doesn't exist. Because they prefer not to pay the extra cost of a more advanced sensor. Consumers can't tell the difference either way. The result is that every detector on the market shows you nothing below 70 PPM. From the $25 one at Home Depot to the $50 one with the digital display. A screen that reads zero isn't telling you your air is clean. It's telling you CO hasn't crossed 70 PPM yet.
UL 2034 Standard Documentation; WHO Air Quality Guidelines 2021; NCOAA Petition to CPSC 2024
You Can't Stop Using Your Gas Appliances, But You Can Make Sure They Will Never Harm Your Health.
TrueDetect is the only home detector that accurately monitors your air from 1 PPM — 24 hours a day, every day — so that whatever your appliances are doing, you'll know about it before it affects your health. No guessing. No symptoms you can't explain. Just complete visibility into the air your family breathes.
76% of CO poisoning victims had appliances that aren't older than 10 years.
Most people assume CO poisoning requires an obviously broken or old appliance. It doesn't.
New, Well-maintained appliances can develop hairline cracks that even inspections can't check. And appliances can develop faults the day after an inspection.
CO leaks are unexpected. A furnace can run perfectly for 6 years and suddenly develop a crack overnight. A flue can shift in a cold snap. A burner can come out of a service slightly out of tune and nobody notices.
The people who were chronically poisoned by carbon monoxide for months or even years weren't negligent. They had a yearly inspection, they bought reliable appliances. They did everything right.
They just didn't have a detector that could tell them what was happening.
What Chronic CO Exposure Does To Your Body
At concentrations as low as 9 PPM, carbon monoxide binds to hemoglobin - the molecule that carries oxygen through your blood. Over days and weeks of exposure, your blood's ability to deliver oxygen to your brain, heart, and organs becomes progressively impaired. The damage is cumulative and silent.
Chronic carbon monoxide exposure can lead to one or more of these symptoms:
recurring nausea, dizziness, weakened immune response, getting sick more often and taking longer to recover
Worsening of existing conditions
CO is known to exacerbate pre-existing cardiovascular, respiratory, and neurological conditions, accelerating their progression and making them harder to manage
CDC CO Health Data; WHO Air Quality Guidelines; Bell et al., Circulation 2009;
Victims and associations have been fighting to change the law for years.
Doctors, lawyers, federal lawmakers, environmental advocacy organizations, and survivor associations have all formally demanded that the US government update the CO alarm standard. The standard still hasn't moved.
PDF
NCOAA & Earthjustice — Petition to the CPSC
December 2024
The National Carbon Monoxide Awareness Association, represented by Earthjustice, formally petitioned the US Consumer Product Safety Commission to lower alarm thresholds and mandate accurate digital displays.
US Congress — The Nicholas and Zachary Burt Memorial CO Poisoning Prevention Act
Introduced 2021, US Senate Bill S.351
Named after two brothers killed by CO poisoning in their sleep. It referenced research showing that proper detector placement and alarm threshold near sleeping areas could prevent the majority of CO fatalities. It passed the Senate. It stalled in the House. Families are still waiting.
CPSC — UL 2034 Standards Technical Panel Meeting Log
January 13, 2025
An official meeting log from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission discussing proposed changes to UL 2034 - including lowering display thresholds below 30 PPM. The meeting confirms that regulators are actively aware the current standard is inadequate, and that the industry resistance remains the primary obstacle to change.
The Only Detector designed to catch what's harming your health. Not just what can kill you.
Monitors From 1 PPM — Not 70
Standard detectors show nothing below 70 PPM, even those with an LCD screen. TrueDetect monitors from 1 PPM, displaying the exact CO concentration in your home at all times, so you can actually see what's in your air, and fix it.
Alarms at 30 PPM — While You Can Still Act
If CO reaches dangerous levels, TrueDetect alarms at 30 PPM — hours before standard detectors make a sound. At 30 PPM you are still clear-headed. You can still think, move, and get everyone out. By 70 PPM, many people can't.
Smart Notifications
TrueDetect sends your phone intelligent notifications the moment CO starts climbing — telling you the level, what it means for your health, and what to do.
10-Year Life. Zero Maintenance.
No battery changes. No recalibration. No replacement. Plug it in once and it runs for a decade. And when it's time, it tells you.
Connect TrueDetect To Your Phone by downloading the TrueSafety App and hitting the "Pair" button.
3
Protect
Your family is now protected - for a full decade.
Works with/without the App
You don't have to connect TrueDetect to your phone to be protected. TrueDetect has an alarm of its own. The app is a bonus.
Share with Your Family
You don't need to set up the detectors again for your family's phones. Just log in to your user account from their phone.
What Our Customers Report
This Is What Happens When CO Is No Longer In Your Air
Day 1
Something Feels Different
You notice that what you've been dealing with feels slightly less intense today. You're not sure if it's real yet. But it's different enough that you notice it. And you haven't changed anything else.
Day 7
You Start Feeling Like Yourself Again
You feel dramatically better. The difference between this week and every week before it is not subtle. It's the kind of improvement you'd stopped believing was possible. You find yourself doing things you'd quietly given up on. Being more of who you were before this started.
Day 14
You Realize How Long It Had Been
Looking back, you can see it now. The gradual decline you'd attributed to stress, age, or just life. It wasn't those things, or at least not only those things. Two weeks of clean air and the difference is undeniable. And you find yourself wondering how you survived like that for so long.
Board of Quality Assurance
These experts didn't just review it. They tested it.
Meet the experts who validate our technology and ensure it's backed by rigorous, independent evidence.
Dr. Blane Schilling, MD
Medical Innovation Specialist & Retired ER Physician
Dr. Sandra Okafor, MD PhD
Board-Certified Toxicologist
James Whitfield
Director of Consumer Product Safety Compliance
Prof. Daniel Sura, PhD
Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Dr. Rachel Ng
Environmental Health & Safety Engineer
Carrie Mostow
CO Poisoning Survivor & Founder, National CO Safety Alliance
Choose Your Protection
Protect Your Family Today
★★★★★ 4.9 (1,500 reviews)
TrueDetect™ CO Detector
Electrochemical CO protection that alerts you before it's too late
Carbon monoxide becomes harmful at 9 PPM. Your detector shows zero for carbon monoxide levels below 70 PPM, even if it has an LCD screen.
Between 5 and 10 million Americans are estimated to be living with chronic low-level CO exposure without knowing it
The symptoms — fatigue, brain fog, headaches, sleep disorders — are almost universally misdiagnosed. As well as rapid worsening of diseases.
99% of detectors on the market follows the same 1992 minimum standard.
Children absorb CO 3x faster, with neurological and developmental consequences that show up years later
A low-level leak doesn't require a broken appliance - hairline cracks and minor faults produce enough CO to affect your health for months.
CO detectors expire after 5 years. You might need to replace yours anyways. So switch to one that actually protects you.
The only home CO monitor that displays real readings from 1 PPM at an affordable price.
Sends intelligent phone notifications that tell you what the level means for your health.
Backed by toxicologists, biomedical engineers, safety compliance directors, and medical professionals who tested and validated the device
10-year lifespan instead of the 5 years stadard.
plug in once and it runs for a decade
Alarms in emergency, and also alarms on your phones
Finally know if your home is the reason you've been feeling off. And make sure it will never unknowingly happen again.
Catch a slow CO leak weeks before it affects your health, not months after it already has.
Get phone alerts that tell you exactly what the level means and what to do
Give your children protection their developing bodies actually need
Watch your levels drop after fixing an issue and actually feel the difference
Have certainty that your home is safe instead of just hoping
Plug TrueDetect into any standard wall outlet, monitoring starts immediately. You'll know what's in your air from that moment. Everything below is optional
Download the free TrueSafety app, log in with your email, tap "Pair Detectors" to get notification if levels ever rise.
Add family members by having them log into the same account on their phone
Place in rooms where your family spends the most time — bedroom and main living area are highest priority
For multi-story homes, 1-2 per floor is recommended
Notifications will tell you when levels are elevated, what that means, and what to do
No need to check the device, the app constantly runs self diagnosis.
★★★★★4.9 stars · 1,500+ reviews · 250,000+ sold
Join 250,000+ Others Who Made The Switch
★★★★★
"I Finally Know Why I've Felt This Way For Two Years."
I had brain fog and fatigue for almost two years. Doctors kept telling me it was stress. TrueDetect arrived and within a day showed 18 PPM in my bedroom. Called an HVAC tech, he found a hairline crack in the heat exchanger. Fixed it. Within two weeks I felt like a different person. Two years. I wish I knew about it sooner.
Michelle K., Atlanta GA Verified Purchase
★★★★★
"My Doctor laughed when I told him… Now he asks me where I got it"
Had persistent headaches and brain fog and fatigue for months. Tried everything. TrueDetect showed 12 PPM consistently every morning. Turned out our gas stove was running rich and our kitchen ventilation wasn't adequate. The headaches are gone. My doctor told me it sounds too good to be true. He was when he saw me 1 week later feeling like myself again.
David R., Chicago IL Verified Purchase
★★★★★
"Got It For My Parents. Changed Everything."
My dad kept complaining about feeling foggy and tired. He's 71 so we assumed it was age. TrueDetect showed low but consistent CO levels in their bedroom from a water heater in the adjacent utility room. Fixed the ventilation. He says he hasn't felt this clear in years. Get this for your parents.
James T., Phoenix AZ Verified Purchase
★★★★★
"Every Home With Gas Appliances Needs This."
As an HVAC technician I've seen this too many times. People living for months with low-level CO from minor appliance issues that would never trigger a standard detector. TrueDetect is the only monitor I've seen that actually shows you what's happening below 70 PPM. I recommend it to almost every house I service now.
Ryan K., Ohio Verified Purchase
★★★★★
"Had CO coming from my neighbor's unit."
Mood swings, anxiety, disrupted sleep for about six months. My therapist thought it was situational. TrueDetect showed 11 PPM in my apartment regularly — coming from a neighbor's unit through shared ventilation. Since fixing the seal on my unit the difference has been night and day. I'm not anxious. I was being slowly poisoned.
Lauren M., Boston MA Verified Purchase
★★★★★
"The App Caught Something I Would Have Missed."
I was traveling for work and got a notification from TrueDetect saying CO levels in my home had been at 14 PPM for three hours. Called my wife, she opened windows and called the HVAC company. Furnace had developed a fault. Without the app notification I wouldn't have known for who knows how long…
Mark D., Seattle WA Verified Purchase
★★★★★
"Worth Every Penny For The Peace Of Mind."
After reading about low-level CO I realized I had almost every symptom on the list. Got TrueDetect, levels were fine — but now I actually know they're fine. Not just hoping they are. That certainty alone is worth the price.
Sarah W., Denver CO Verified Purchase
★★★★★
"I thought I was just getting old at 41."
Falling asleep at 8pm, couldn't hold a thought at work. I assumed burnout. TrueDetect read 15 PPM most evenings. The old wall furnace was venting badly. Three weeks after the fix I stopped needing an afternoon nap.
Priya N., Austin TX Verified Purchase
★★★★★
"Two coffees a day and still exhausted."
I'd been running on empty for a year and a half. Levels sat around 11 PPM every night in the bedroom. Turned out to be the water heater flue. I don't want to think about how long it had been like that.
Greg H., Cleveland OH Verified Purchase
★★★★★
"The brain fog was the worst part."
I'm a bookkeeper and I was making mistakes I'd never made before. TrueDetect showed 13 PPM. Once we fixed the venting it took about ten days before I noticed I could concentrate again.
Dana W., Sacramento CA Verified Purchase
★★★★★
"Four migraines a week down to almost none."
My neurologist ran every test and found nothing. TrueDetect showed 16 PPM in the room where I work from home. A blocked flue on the fireplace. I still get one occasionally, but nothing like before.
Tomás R., San Antonio TX Verified Purchase
★★★★★
"I kept blaming my screen time."
Daily dull headache for months. Nothing showed on the old detector, obviously. This one showed 9 to 14 PPM overnight. Gas range with poor ventilation. My husband noticed the change in me before I did.
Alicia B., Portland OR Verified Purchase
★★★★★
"My headache always started at home."
Fine all day at work, headache within an hour of getting home. That should have told me something. 12 PPM in the hallway. Fixed the furnace and the pattern just stopped.
Kevin O., Milwaukee WI Verified Purchase
★★★★★
"Nine hours of sleep and still wrecked."
I'd wake up more tired than when I went to bed. Levels were sitting at 10 to 13 PPM overnight. Once we sorted the venting I woke up rested for the first time in I don't know how long.
Renee C., Charlotte NC Verified Purchase
★★★★★
"Waking up at 3am every night."
I assumed it was stress. Bought this after reading about low-level CO. 14 PPM in the bedroom, from a water heater in the closet next door. Sleeping through now.
Marcus L., Baltimore MD Verified Purchase
★★★★★
"My husband's snoring wasn't the problem."
We both slept badly for two years and quietly blamed each other. Turned out to be 11 PPM every night from the furnace. Slightly embarrassing, but I'll take it.
Yvonne P., Tulsa OK Verified Purchase
★★★★★
"I was short with my kids and couldn't explain why."
Irritable, flat, anxious for no reason I could point to. TrueDetect showed 12 PPM most evenings. Fixed the range hood venting. I'm not saying it fixed everything, but I feel like myself again.
Hannah S., Boise ID Verified Purchase
★★★★★
"Therapy helped. This helped more."
I'd been treating anxiety for a year. Levels in my apartment ran 10 to 15 PPM. The landlord fixed the boiler vent. My therapist was the one who told me to keep the detector.
Owen F., Providence RI Verified Purchase
★★★★★
"The winter lows weren't seasonal after all."
Every winter I'd get low and assumed it was the dark months. It was the furnace running more. 13 PPM. This winter has been completely different.
Bianca T., Rochester NY Verified Purchase
★★★★★
"My asthma got worse every winter for six years."
Inhaler use kept climbing. TrueDetect read 14 PPM whenever the furnace ran. Cracked heat exchanger. My pulmonologist wants the name of this thing.
Devon A., Detroit MI Verified Purchase
★★★★★
"Short of breath climbing my own stairs."
At 38. Levels around 12 PPM from the wall heater. Two weeks after the repair I made it up without stopping. I hadn't realised how bad it had got.
Marta G., Fresno CA Verified Purchase
★★★★★
"Bought it because of my son's asthma."
His attacks always seemed worse at home. 11 PPM in his bedroom, coming in from the garage. We sealed the door and put a second detector in there. Far fewer attacks since.
Nate K., Springfield MO Verified Purchase
★★★★★
"My daughter's headaches stopped."
Eight years old, complaining of headaches most school nights. The doctor said growing pains. 15 PPM in her room above the garage. It's been quiet since we fixed it.
Carla V., Albuquerque NM Verified Purchase
★★★★★
"Got it for my mother's place."
She's 78 and had been foggy and unsteady. We assumed it was her age. The detector showed 12 PPM from an old boiler. Her balance is better and she's sharper on the phone.
Ian D., Scranton PA Verified Purchase
★★★★★
"My son's grades came back up."
He'd gone from a strong student to struggling to focus. 13 PPM in the bedroom. I'm not claiming it was all the CO, but the change after we fixed it was hard to miss.
Rochelle A., Tacoma WA Verified Purchase
Our Mission
Spreading awareness, one event at a time.
We don't spread this message alone. Changing how America thinks about CO safety requires doctors, first responders, and safety leaders who share the cause. That's why we show up at safety conferences, community events, and industry summits. Meeting the people who can help us get real protection into every American home.
Frequently asked questions
The research is unambiguous. The WHO recommends keeping indoor CO below 3.4 PPM over 24 hours and below 8.6 PPM over 8 hours. The EPA's outdoor air safety standard is 9 PPM. Every major public health body has concluded that long-term exposure to CO at levels well below 70 PPM causes measurable cardiovascular, cognitive, and neurological harm. The reason most people don't know this is that gas companies would lobby to keep the standard alarm threshold where it is.
No. and this is the most common misconception. Under UL 2034, all detectors with digital displays are legally allowed to show zero for anything below 70 PPM, and most show zero below 70 PPM. The display is not showing you your actual CO level.
Doctors catch it in 100,000 Americans a year. But that's because those people were severely poisoned, at levels of probably about 30 PPM. But for the other millions of people, doctors never catch it. Because at low CO levels the symptoms are identical to dozens of conditions doctors test for every day. CO poisoning is almost never on the differential.
A peer-reviewed study has investigated that issue. They screened patients presenting to emergency departments with flu-like symptoms, and found that 23.8% of them (1 out of 4 people) were simply chronically poisoned by carbon monoxide.
TrueDetect functions as both a health monitor and an emergency detector. It monitors from 1 PPM for health purposes and alarms at 30 PPM for emergency purposes — making it both a low-level health monitor and a superior replacement for your existing detector simultaneously.
Discovering that your levels are normal is not a waste. It gives you the certainty that your family is safe and will be safe forever. A leak can happen at anytime, and you want to be aware of it before it destroys your health.
Download the free TrueSafety app on iPhone or Android, log in with the email you purchased with, and tap "Pair Detectors." It finds TrueDetect automatically.
Yes. Plug TrueDetect into any outlet and it begins monitoring and displaying CO levels immediately. The app adds phone notifications, remote monitoring, and exposure history — but the protection starts the moment it's plugged in.
Yes, you can lower the brightness to multiple different levels. The lowest brightness level won't be noticeable in a dark room.
TrueDetect
Standard Detector
