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Scientists Discover Way to Send Information into Black Holes Without Using Energy

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Carbon Dioxide Is Rising in the Air And Now It’s Showing Up in Our Blood

 For decades, rising carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels have been discussed as a major driver of climate change. Scientists have warned about melting glaciers, rising sea levels, and extreme heat waves. But now, new research suggests something even more personal: increasing CO₂ in the atmosphere may already be changing the chemistry inside our bodies.

A recent study published in the journal Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health has found steady changes in human blood chemistry over the past two decades that closely follow the rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide. The findings raise important questions about long-term health effects — especially for children and adolescents who will experience lifelong exposure to higher CO₂ levels.

📊 Tracking Carbon Dioxide Inside the Human Body

The research was led by scientists from The Kids Research Institute Australia, Curtin University, and The Australian National University. The team analyzed data from the long-running U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), examining blood samples from about 7,000 people every two years between 1999 and 2020.

Their key finding: average levels of serum bicarbonate, a chemical closely linked to carbon dioxide in the body, have increased by about 7% since 1999.

At the same time, researchers observed:

  • A gradual decline in calcium levels

  • A steady reduction in phosphorus levels

These changes closely mirror the rise in atmospheric CO₂, which has increased from approximately 369 parts per million (ppm) in 2000 to more than 420 ppm today.

The study’s lead author, Alexander N. Larcombe, explained that the findings suggest the human body may already be responding to a changing atmosphere.

🌡️ How Carbon Dioxide Affects Blood Chemistry

To understand why this matters, it helps to know how the body handles carbon dioxide.

CO₂ is a natural waste product of breathing. When we exhale, we remove excess carbon dioxide from our bloodstream. Inside the body, CO₂ interacts with water to form carbonic acid, which affects blood acidity (pH levels).

The body carefully controls this balance through a substance called bicarbonate.

What Is Bicarbonate?

Bicarbonate is a chemical buffer that helps maintain the body’s acid–base balance. When CO₂ levels increase, the body retains more bicarbonate to prevent the blood from becoming too acidic.

This system works very well in normal conditions. However, the new research suggests that as atmospheric CO₂ rises, the body may be gradually adjusting its chemistry to compensate.

Over time, continuous compensation could place stress on biological systems.

📈 Approaching the Healthy Limit

The researchers used modeling to project future trends. If atmospheric CO₂ continues to rise at current rates, average bicarbonate levels in human blood could approach the upper limit of today’s accepted healthy range within the next 50 years.

Meanwhile, calcium and phosphorus levels may fall toward the lower boundary of healthy ranges later this century.

This does not mean people will suddenly become ill once a certain number is reached. Instead, the concern is about slow, long-term physiological shifts happening across entire populations.

🧬 Humans Evolved in a Different Atmosphere

For most of human history, atmospheric CO₂ levels were much lower.

Before the Industrial Revolution, concentrations were around 280–300 ppm. Over the past decade, CO₂ has increased at an average rate of 2.6 ppm per year. In 2024 alone, the increase reached 3.5 ppm — one of the largest annual rises recorded.

According to co-author Phil Bierwirth, humans evolved in an environment with far lower CO₂ levels.

He suggests our bodies may be adapted to a specific range of atmospheric carbon dioxide — and that range may now have been surpassed.

The body’s balance depends on:

  • CO₂ levels in the air

  • Blood pH

  • Breathing rate

  • Bicarbonate concentration

When one factor shifts significantly, the entire system must adjust.

👶 Why Children May Be Most Affected

One of the most important aspects of this study is its implication for younger generations.

Children and adolescents:

  • Have developing organs and biological systems

  • Will experience the longest lifetime exposure to higher CO₂ levels

  • May be more sensitive to subtle physiological changes

Because the changes appear gradual rather than sudden, they may not be easily noticeable in the short term. However, long-term exposure over decades could have cumulative effects.

The researchers emphasize that this is not an immediate health emergency, but it is a signal that long-term monitoring is necessary.

🌍 A New Dimension of Climate Risk

Climate change is usually discussed in terms of visible environmental impacts:

  • Rising global temperatures

  • Extreme weather events

  • Sea-level rise

  • Droughts and floods

This new research adds a different dimension: climate change may also be subtly influencing human biology.

Instead of viewing carbon dioxide solely as an environmental pollutant, scientists are beginning to consider it as a potential long-term public health variable.

The authors suggest that atmospheric composition and human biomarkers should be tracked together to better understand how environmental changes influence biology over time.

🔬 Does This Prove CO₂ Is Causing the Changes?

It is important to clarify that the study does not prove direct causation. The researchers found strong correlations between rising atmospheric CO₂ and shifting blood chemistry, but correlation does not automatically mean cause and effect.

However, the consistency of the pattern across more than 20 years of population data makes the findings difficult to ignore.

Large-scale population trends that closely follow environmental changes deserve further investigation.

🏥 What Could This Mean for Public Health?

If blood chemistry gradually shifts over time, potential long-term consequences could include:

  • Effects on bone health (due to calcium and phosphorus changes)

  • Altered respiratory regulation

  • Possible metabolic adjustments

At present, there is no evidence of widespread illness linked directly to rising atmospheric CO₂ at current levels. But the researchers stress that waiting for obvious symptoms may not be the best approach.

Monitoring trends early allows policymakers and health professionals to act before problems become severe.

🌱 The Importance of Reducing Emissions

Reducing carbon dioxide emissions has long been seen as essential to limiting global warming. This study suggests there may be an additional reason: protecting long-term human health.

If atmospheric CO₂ continues increasing beyond historical levels, the human body may continue adjusting in ways we do not yet fully understand.

Emission reduction strategies, renewable energy development, and sustainable policies may help slow these trends and protect both the planet and human physiology.

📌 Looking Ahead

The study by Alexander N. Larcombe and colleagues opens a new area of scientific discussion. It suggests that climate change is not only transforming ecosystems and weather patterns but may also be influencing the delicate chemical balance within our bodies.

While there is no reason for panic, the findings highlight the importance of long-term research and monitoring. Just as we track global temperatures and sea levels, we may also need to monitor population-level biological markers.

The atmosphere connects all living things. As it changes, so might we.

The key message is clear: rising carbon dioxide is no longer just an environmental statistic — it may be becoming a human health issue as well.

Reference:
Larcombe, A. N., et al. (2026). Carbon dioxide overload, detected in human blood, suggests a potentially toxic atmosphere within 50 years. Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health. DOI: 10.1007/s11869-026-01918-5

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