Study finds rising CO2 levels detected in human blood

In Australia, researchers have warned that increasing carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the atmosphere are reflected in human blood, with key blood markers possibly nearing the healthy upper limit within decades. The findings are particularly relevant for children and adolescents whose bodies are still developing and who will have the longest cumulative exposure to rising atmospheric CO2, according to a statement from the Kids Research Institute Australia on Wednesday (4/3).

Researchers from the Kids Research Institute Australia, in collaboration with Curtin University and the Australian National University (ANU), analysed United States population data from 1999 to 2020. The results showed stable chemical changes in the blood of 7,000 individuals over the period, in line with rising CO2 levels in the atmosphere.

The study, published in the journal Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health, found that serum bicarbonate levels, a blood marker linked to CO2, increased by around 7 percent since 1999, in step with rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations, accompanied by declines in calcium and phosphorus levels.

The findings suggest that the human body may already be adjusting to atmospheric changes, potentially leading to long-term physiological consequences, said the study’s lead author, Associate Professor Alexander Larcombe from The Kids.

“If current trends continue, modelling estimates that average bicarbonate levels could approach the upper bound of the currently accepted healthy range within 50 years,” said Larcombe.

The study calls for monitoring both atmospheric composition and population biomarkers alongside traditional climate indicators to assess the long-term biological impacts on humans.