How climate change is messing with your blood

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🗞️ Driving the news: New research suggests rising atmospheric carbon dioxide may be subtly altering the chemistry of human blood, adding a potential health consequence to climate change

🔭 The context: Researchers analysed 21 years of U.S. health data covering around 7,000 people and found that blood bicarbonate levels rose as atmospheric carbon dioxide increased from 369 to 420 ppm
• Bicarbonate helps prevent blood from becoming too acidic, suggesting the body is compensating for greater carbon dioxide exposure

🌍 Why it matters: The findings raise concerns about the biological effects of continued carbon dioxide increases, although the researchers stress that current atmospheric concentrations are not causing the severe symptoms associated with much higher exposure
• Longer-term studies have linked elevated carbon dioxide exposure to potential effects including inflammation, oxidative stress and impaired cognitive function

⏭️ What’s next: Researchers warn that atmospheric carbon dioxide could exceed 500 ppm by mid-century, making further investigation into the relationship between rising CO₂ and human health increasingly important

📈 One stat: Atmospheric carbon dioxide has risen from around 280 ppm before the Industrial Revolution to roughly 425 ppm today

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