Carbon dioxide in the home can make us dull and get worse by climate change

Soaring levels of CO ₂ in the atmosphere affect our health in many ways.

Heat-related illnesses are becoming more and more popular and the range of infections is spreading, putting us in a dangerous situation. Warming temperatures even promote the formation of smog, leading to more polluted air. However, the examples above are only indirect effects of CO ₂ , which warms the atmosphere then creates hot flashes of impact on the Earth's surface. A new study presented at the US Geophysical Union Conference 2019 proves that perhaps CO2 should be considered a pollutant, potentially impairing our ability to think.

CO ₂ has the ability to impair our ability to think.

In recent years, several studies have found a link between high levels of indoor CO2 and impaired human cognition. When indoors, CO _{2 levels} will rise, especially when lots of people are breathing and the ventilation is slow. Studies have found that poorly vented classrooms lead to dementia, distraction, and even lower-than-standard test scores. In 2016, a Harvard study drew a lot of media attention after researchers discovered that CO ₂ concentrations increased as high as 950 ppm leading to reduced cognitive in humans. . With concentrations of 1,400 ppm (which can occur in poorly ventilated rooms), those possibilities are even further reduced.

That study did not address climate change, but this new study is different. Lead author of the study Kris Karnauskas, a climate scientist at the University of Colorado, said: "As a climate scientist, I looked at Harvard research and thought 'really the CO ₂ concentrations that they We are concerned about climate change. So even without knowing it, they actually did a study on the impact of climate change. "

Currently, the concentration of CO ₂ in the atmosphere is about 410 ppm - a level we have never had in human history. If we don't reduce fossil fuel emissions, that number could more than double by the end of the century to 930 ppm, based on the International Council's emissions forecast for climate change.

To understand what this means for indoor air and its effect on our brains, Karnauskas and his team used an equation to predict the amount of CO ₂ in the home. system with the amount of gas outside. For a given outdoor concentration, the study measures the rate at which people exhale CO ₂ and the rate of ventilation and then estimates the amount of CO ₂ indoors. For this study, researchers used estimates of primary school students' respiratory estimates and the number of vents for a regular classroom.

The effect of CO ₂ makes it harder for the brain to absorb oxygen.

According to this estimate, indoor CO2 concentration is currently 809 ppm. If we do not reduce emissions, resulting in an external CO2 concentration of 930 ppm, the indoor concentration will increase to 1,250 ppm.

Using the results of the Harvard study, Karnauskas estimated that the increase in CO ₂ would be equivalent to a cognitive decline. Although, with low emissions, CO ₂ in the house almost does not affect our intelligence. But things seem to be much worse for high emissions. By 2100, students studying in the school will see the ability to take basic tests decreased by 25% and about 50% for complex tasks. In other words, your ability to solve a complex puzzle will be halved by 2100.

In Harvard research, the ability to perform complex human cognitive tasks decreased to nearly 0% when the concentration reached 1,500 ppm."So these people are hardly able to carry out all the complex tasks, which is scary because that's what we will face," Karnauskas said.

"This is a very interesting article and also a cycle we have been thinking about," says Piers MacNaughton, co-author of Harvard research. He added that while he agreed with Karnauskas that reducing fossil fuel emissions is the best solution, ventilation technology also needs to be improved. Smart systems that adjust ventilation based on CO ₂ levels not only help bring the necessary fresh air, but also save energy when there are fewer people in the room, " MacNaughton said.

The mechanisms behind this cognitive decline are not fully understood, but researchers say the effects of CO ₂ make it harder for the brain to absorb oxygen . High levels of CO ₂ can also lower blood pH, leading to a number of symptoms including confusion.

The good news is that research also shows that this decline can be prevented almost entirely if we maintain carbon concentrations at 540 ppm, which corresponds to keeping the Earth's temperature below 2 degrees Celsius. otherwise, we may face another challenge in addressing the climate crisis: our own ability to solve problems."By the end of the century, people who are trying to tackle this complex climate change problem, will have half their ability to do that. This could be a potential impact of climate change." to our ability to solve problems , " Karnauskas said.

1. High CO2 concentration reduces the ability to study and work
2. The concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere has increased by a record over the past 800,000 years