A new study indicates that rising carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in Earth's atmosphere are detectable in human blood. Analyzing 20 years of US health data, scientists observed blood chemistry shifts consistent with higher CO2 exposure.
Researchers project that if current trends persist, certain blood chemistry values could approach the upper limit of accepted healthy ranges by 2076. Respiratory physiologist Alexander Larcombe stated that these shifts mirror the rise in atmospheric CO2 driving climate change. Average blood bicarbonate levels, crucial for maintaining pH balance, have increased by approximately 7 percent between 1999 and 2020, mirroring atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Concurrently, calcium and phosphorus levels showed a decrease.
These changes are currently within the body's tolerable range, but scientists theorize that our bodies may not be fully adapting to CO2 levels higher than previously experienced. This suggests a critical need to limit atmospheric CO2 levels. The research was published in Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health.