Atmospheric CO2 Levels Rise, Scientists Find Strange Changes in Human Blood

A recent study suggests that the escalating levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere could be subtly altering human blood chemistry. Researchers have identified specific chemical changes within blood that appear to coincide with the rising concentration of CO2 in the air, a finding with particular implications for children and adolescents who are still developing.

The research, published in the journal Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health, was conducted by scientists from Australia's The Kids Research Institute, Curtin University, and The Australian National University (ANU). They analyzed blood health data from approximately 7,000 individuals in the United States, collected biennially between 1999 and 2020 through the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

Over this two-decade period, the study found a notable increase in serum bicarbonate levels, a key indicator closely linked to carbon dioxide in the body, rising by an average of 7 percent. Concurrently, average levels of calcium and phosphorus in the blood showed a decrease. These biological trends align with the documented rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide, which has climbed from around 369 parts per million (ppm) in 2000 to over 420 ppm currently.

Professor Alexander Larcombe, one of the study's researchers, commented on the findings, suggesting that the human body might be undergoing gradual adjustments to the changing atmospheric composition. "What we are seeing is a gradual shift in blood chemistry that mirrors the increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which is driving climate change," Larcombe stated, as reported by Science Daily on Tuesday, August 25, 2026.

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What we are seeing is a gradual shift in blood chemistry that mirrors the increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which is driving climate change.