Study Links 420 ppm CO2 to 7% Rise in Human Blood Bicarbonate
Updated
Updated · Boing Boing · Jul 20
Study Links 420 ppm CO2 to 7% Rise in Human Blood Bicarbonate
1 articles · Updated · Boing Boing · Jul 20
Summary
U.S. health-survey data from 1999 to 2020 showed average blood bicarbonate rising about 7%, a change researchers said closely tracked atmospheric CO2 climbing above 420 parts per million.
About 7,000 people were covered in each survey round, and the same analysis found calcium and phosphorus falling alongside bicarbonate, consistent with the body's acid-buffering chemistry.
The authors said the finding is correlational rather than proof of causation because measurement methods varied across survey cycles, but argued the match is strong enough to warrant concern.
Trendlines in the paper push bicarbonate to the edge of the healthy range by 2076, with calcium and phosphorus reaching similar limits by 2100 if current patterns continue.
Is rising atmospheric CO2 silently altering our blood chemistry and weakening our bones?
What if our diets, not the air we breathe, are altering our blood chemistry?
Atmospheric CO₂ Levels Threaten Human Blood Chemistry and Health: What the Latest Research Reveals
Overview
New research shows that rising carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is now being detected within the human body, leading to observable changes in blood chemistry. If current CO₂ trends continue, a crucial blood marker for carbon dioxide could reach its healthy limit within decades, raising concerns about a potentially toxic atmosphere in the next 50 years. Children and adolescents, with their developing bodies, are especially vulnerable because they will experience the longest cumulative exposure. These findings highlight the urgent need to understand how escalating atmospheric CO₂ can cause carbon dioxide overload in human blood and impact future generations.