CO2 overload in blood suggests toxic atmosphere within 50 years
a day ago
- An analysis of NHANES data from 1999 to 2020 shows an increasing trend in average serum bicarbonate levels in the U.S. population, paralleling rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations.
- Over the same period, average serum calcium and phosphorus levels have decreased, suggesting physiological compensation for elevated CO2 exposure.
- If trends continue, bicarbonate levels could reach the upper healthy limit around 2076, while calcium and phosphorus could hit lower healthy limits by the end of the century.
- Elevated CO2 exposure is linked to potential adverse health effects, including oxidative stress, cognitive impairment, anxiety, and organ calcification, based on animal and some human studies.
- The study highlights that human physiology, evolved under stable atmospheric CO2 levels, may be increasingly strained by current and projected CO2 increases, urging immediate reductions in emissions.