Could rising CO2 levels be silently altering our blood chemistry? A new study suggests that the increase in carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere is not only detectable in our environment but also in our blood. Over 20 years of health data from a US population database reveals shifts in blood chemistry that align with higher CO2 exposure. While it's not a cause for immediate alarm, the researchers' modeling indicates that if current trends persist, some blood chemistry values could approach the limit of today's accepted healthy range by around 2076. This gradual change, driven by climate change, mirrors the rise in atmospheric CO2. Respiratory physiologist Alexander Larcombe from Curtin University explains that bicarbonate levels in the blood, which are converted from CO2, could reach the upper limit of the healthy range within 50 years. This could have implications for calcium and phosphorus levels, which may also reach the lower end of their healthy ranges later this century. The fossil record shows that Earth's atmospheric CO2 levels have remained stable for at least 150,000 years, but in recent decades, they've risen dramatically. This study raises questions about the impact of rising CO2 on human physiology and the potential need to limit atmospheric CO2 levels to prevent further changes in blood chemistry. The research, published in Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health, invites further discussion on the topic.
