IChO 1977 · Theory problem 8

Carbon monoxide and haemoglobin

Among other factors, deterioration of the environment is manifested also by air pollution with carbon monoxide. Its most powerful source are combustion engines. The toxicity of carbon monoxide is caused by the fact that it forms with the blood dye - haemoglobin (\(\ce{Hb}\)), the compound carbonyl haemoglobin (\(\ce{HbCO}\)):

Figure 1

The chemical bond in carbonyl haemoglobin is about 200 times stronger than that in oxyhaemoglobin (\(\ce{HbO2}\)) originating under common conditions. Consequently, haemoglobin cannot be used in oxygen transfer. The lack of oxygen starts to be felt from 50 ppm carbon monoxide in the air, i. e. 10 % carbonyl haemoglobin in blood.

Air oxygen dissolves in blood in the lungs and its concentration under common conditions is kept at \(1.6\times10^{-6}\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}\) by breathing. The concentration of haemoglobin in the blood of lung capillaries is also constant and is equal to \(8\times10^{-6}\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}\)

Problems:

8.1 Calculate the rate of oxyhaemoglobin formation if the rate constant is \(k=2.1\times10^{6}\ \mathrm{dm^{3}\,mol^{-1}\,s^{-1}}\) (at \(37\,^\circ\mathrm{C}\) – normal body temperature).

8.2 In some cases (carbon monoxide poisoning) an increase of the rate of oxyhaemoglobin formation up to \(1.1\times10^{-4}\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}\,s^{-1}}\) is needed.

a) Calculate the required concentration of oxygen assuming that the concentration of haemoglobin in blood is constant.

b) Suggest of practical solution on the assumption that the concentration of oxygen in blood is proportional to the pressure of oxygen entering the lungs.

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

  • 8.1: \(v=2.7\times10^{-5}\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}\,s^{-1}}\).
  • 8.2(a): \([\ce{O2}]=6.5\times10^{-6}\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}\).
  • 8.2(b): Increase the inhaled oxygen partial pressure to approximately \(4.1\) times its normal value, using oxygen-enriched gas or a pressure chamber. With unchanged air composition, the required absolute total pressure is \(4.1\) times normal.

Solution

The small molecules involved are oxygen (dioxygen), \(\ce{O2}\), SMILES O=O, and carbon monoxide, \(\ce{CO}\), SMILES [C-]#[O+]. Haemoglobin (\(\ce{Hb}\)), oxyhaemoglobin (\(\ce{HbO2}\)), and carbonyl haemoglobin (\(\ce{HbCO}\)) are represented by the problem’s simplified protein-binding notation. Their full molecular structures are not specified, so unique complete SMILES cannot be supplied for these protein species.

8.1

In the simplified model used by the problem, oxygen associates with haemoglobin:

\[ \ce{Hb + O2 -> HbO2}. \]

The bimolecular formation rate is

\[ v=k[\ce{Hb}][\ce{O2}]. \]

Substituting the given values,

\[ \begin{aligned} v &= \left(2.1\times10^{6}\ \mathrm{dm^{3}\,mol^{-1}\,s^{-1}}\right) \left(8\times10^{-6}\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}\right) \left(1.6\times10^{-6}\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}\right)\\ &=2.688\times10^{-5}\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}\,s^{-1}}. \end{aligned} \]

Thus,

\[ \boxed{v\approx2.7\times10^{-5}\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}\,s^{-1}}}. \]

8.2(a)

At the same temperature, \(k\) is unchanged. With haemoglobin concentration held constant, rearranging the rate law gives

\[ [\ce{O2}]_{\mathrm{required}} =\frac{v_{\mathrm{required}}}{k[\ce{Hb}]}. \]

Therefore,

\[ \begin{aligned} [\ce{O2}]_{\mathrm{required}} &= \frac{1.1\times10^{-4}\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}\,s^{-1}}} {\left(2.1\times10^{6}\ \mathrm{dm^{3}\,mol^{-1}\,s^{-1}}\right) \left(8\times10^{-6}\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}\right)}\\ &=6.5476\times10^{-6}\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}. \end{aligned} \]

Hence,

\[ \boxed{[\ce{O2}]_{\mathrm{required}} \approx6.5\times10^{-6}\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}}. \]

8.2(b)

By the stipulated proportionality between dissolved oxygen concentration and inhaled oxygen partial pressure,

\[ \frac{p_{\ce{O2},\mathrm{required}}} {p_{\ce{O2},\mathrm{normal}}} = \frac{[\ce{O2}]_{\mathrm{required}}} {[\ce{O2}]_{\mathrm{normal}}} = \frac{6.5476\times10^{-6}}{1.6\times10^{-6}} \approx4.1. \]

Thus,

\[ \boxed{p_{\ce{O2},\mathrm{required}} \approx4.1\,p_{\ce{O2},\mathrm{normal}}}. \]

A practical solution is to administer oxygen-enriched inhaled gas, increasing its oxygen partial pressure. Alternatively, a pressure chamber can increase the pressure of inhaled air. Since

\[ p_{\ce{O2}}=x_{\ce{O2}}P, \]

where \(x_{\ce{O2}}\) is the oxygen mole fraction and \(P\) is the absolute total pressure, using air of unchanged composition requires \(P_{\mathrm{required}}\approx4.1P_{\mathrm{normal}}\).

The solution was checked against the official solution.