Tag

Carbon Dioxide

All articles tagged with #carbon dioxide

science7 days ago•7 min saved

Mosquito Magnets: Why Some People Draw More Bites and How to Fight Back

Mosquito bites aren’t random: a mix of cues—carbon dioxide output, heat, moisture, and skin odors—along with genetics can make certain people more attractive to mosquitoes. Factors like exercise, alcohol consumption, clothing color, and pregnancy can increase bite risk, while location and exposure also matter. Practical protections include covering exposed skin, using tested repellents (DEET or picaridin), wearing light-colored clothing, reducing standing water around home, and using citronella or lemon eucalyptus candles in the yard; beware unproven remedies like garlic or vitamin supplements.

via Good Housekeeping|

#bug-bites #carbon-dioxide #mosquitoes

health9 days ago•4 min saved

Rising CO2 Could Be Shifting Human Blood Chemistry, Study Finds

A 20-year analysis of NHANES data (about 7,000 people) shows blood bicarbonate rising about 7% as atmospheric CO2 climbs from ~369 ppm to over 420 ppm, with calcium and phosphorus dipping, suggesting the body may be adapting to higher CO2; the study notes correlation, not causation, but warns of potential population-level health implications and recommends monitoring CO2 alongside biomarkers as climate policy considerations evolve.

via ScienceDaily|

#bicarbonate #blood-chemistry #carbon-dioxide

environment12 days ago•5 min saved

Ancient CO2 surge browns forests, underscoring risks of fossil-fuel emissions

A new study of fossilized leaf cuticles from the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum shows forests thickened briefly but then collapsed as CO2 rose, browning the planet rather than greening it; the current rapid carbon release, with heat and drought, threatens widespread tree mortality and may outpace recovery, underscoring the need to curb fossil fuel use.

via theguardian.com|

#carbon-dioxide #climate-change #environment

health17 days ago•5 min saved

Why Mosquitoes Pick Favorites—and How You Can Beat the Buzz

Doctors say mosquitoes appear to favor certain people: adults and anyone who runs hot, expels more carbon dioxide (pregnant women and those exercising), or who drinks alcohol may attract more bites. There’s some evidence that Type O blood draws more bites than Type A. To reduce risk, use 20-30% DEET, wear long sleeves and light-colored clothing, and stay vigilant as Michigan’s mosquito season lasts until the first hard frost.

via WXYZ Channel 7|

#bites #blood-type #carbon-dioxide

home-and-garden17 days ago•4 min saved

Sweat, CO2, and Warmth: How Your Home Workout Attracts Mosquitoes

A pest-control expert explains that mosquitoes are drawn to carbon dioxide, body heat, odors, and standing water—not light—and vigorous indoor workouts can spike CO2 and heat, attracting them into homes, especially when windows are open at dusk. To minimize risk, install fly screens or use a fan, shower after exercising, wear light-colored clothing, and remove standing water around the property.

via Good Housekeeping|

#body-heat #carbon-dioxide #home-and-garden

science17 days ago•12 min saved

The Silent Cloud Over Lake Nyos: Cameroon’s 1986 CO2 Disaster

In the early hours of August 21, 1986, a sudden release of dissolved carbon dioxide from Lake Nyos in Cameroon rolled down the valley in a dense, invisible cloud, killing about 1,700 people and thousands of cattle as the gas, heavier than air, displaced oxygen where sleepers lay. The event, a rare limnic eruption, was poorly understood for years, leading to degassing projects at Nyos and Monoun and a larger, ongoing effort at nearby Lake Kivu, underscoring how ordinary-looking lakes can harbor deadly hazards with no surface warning.

via Space Daily|

#carbon-dioxide #degassing-pipes #lake-kivu

science17 days ago•6 min saved

Seeing CO2 Become Graphite: Real-Time Insights from Molten-Salt Electrolysis

Using operando Raman microscopy, researchers watched CO2 electrolysis in molten salts convert carbon dioxide into solid carbon (graphite) via a two-step pathway with a peroxide intermediate; the form of carbon deposited depends on the cathode (nickel, Inconel, gold, tungsten). The study, published in Nature Communications by Ratso et al., suggests CO2-derived graphite could supply battery materials and, if powered by renewables, achieve a negative CO2 balance, but it’s not a climate solution on its own and will require further optimization.

via ScienceAlert|

#battery-materials #carbon-dioxide #graphite

health-and-science1 month ago•15 min saved

CO2 Breaths May Help Clear Alzheimer's Brain Waste, Early Study Finds

Researchers presented small 2025 findings showing brief CO2 pulses delivered via masks can activate the brain's glymphatic clearance, boosting cerebrospinal fluid inflow and evacuating proteins such as tau (with higher amyloid beta in blood), suggesting a potential non-invasive approach to address Alzheimer's pathology. However the study is preliminary and larger trials are needed to assess safety, long-term effects, and cognitive outcomes; not a clinical therapy yet.

via Dallas Express|

#alzheimers-disease #carbon-dioxide #clinical-trials

health1 month ago•8 min saved

Breathing Bursts May Help Clear Alzheimer's Proteins in the Awake Brain

Researchers presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference that brief, wakeful CO2 bursts may stimulate the brain’s glymphatic system, aiding clearance of tau and raising blood beta-amyloid temporarily; findings from a small 12-person study also reference breath-centered practices like yoga as potential contributors, but more research is needed to determine if this could slow cognitive decline.

via HuffPost UK|

#amyloid #carbon-dioxide #dementia

science1 month ago•11 min saved

A Prolonged Volcanic Pulse Behind Earth's Great Die-Off

Around 252 million years ago, a long-lived Siberian Traps volcanic episode released vast greenhouse gases—via surface lava and underground sill intrusions—warming the climate and oceans and triggering the end-Permian extinction, which wiped out about 90% of marine species; the exact mix of sources and mechanisms (lava, heated sediments, methane release, acidification) remains debated.

via Space Daily|

#carbon-dioxide #end-permian-extinction #ocean-acidification

science2 months ago•5 min saved

Mosquito Magnets: Why Odor, CO2, and Heat Make Some People Prime Bite Targets

Scientists say female mosquitoes decide who to bite by a mix of signals: the carbon dioxide we exhale, our body odor shaped by skin microbiota, and local heat/humidity. Blood type isn’t a factor, though a skin-oil compound called 1-octen-3-ol can boost attraction, and even beer consumption can increase bite likelihood by altering CO2 output and odor. As climate change expands mosquito ranges, understanding these cues helps explain “mosquito magnets” and offers practical bite-reduction tips (cover skin, use nets and repellents, and moderate alcohol/food).

via ScienceAlert|

#carbon-dioxide #climate-change #microbiota

science3 months ago•6 min saved

Why Some People Attract More Mosquitoes: It’s All About Chemistry

A new synthesis of decades of research shows female mosquitoes first zero in on humans by exhaled carbon dioxide, with body size, metabolism, pregnancy, and exertion increasing the cue. Once close, skin-emitted chemicals—notably carboxylic acids from sweat and skin microbes, plus the mushroom-scent compound 1-octen-3-ol—drive bite attraction and are resilient to washing due to rapid skin-microbiome reestablishment. Blood type signals remain inconclusive, while dark clothing and alcohol can heighten risk. Notably, some pathogens may manipulate hosts to attract more mosquitoes (malaria via HMBPP; dengue/Zika through skin-microbiome changes). Practically, this points to repellents that mask key signals or alter the microbiome, and field tests to identify transmission hubs.

via Indian Defence Review|

#1-octen-3-ol #carbon-dioxide #host-selection

science-climate3 months ago•14 min saved

CO2 Turns the Stratosphere Into a Cooling Engine, New Study Finds

New Columbia University–led research, published in Nature Geoscience, identifies why Earth’s upper atmosphere has cooled while the surface warms: increasing CO2 alters how infrared light is absorbed and emitted in the stratosphere, with a particular “Goldilocks zone” of wavelengths driving efficient cooling that expands as CO2 rises. Ozone and water vapor play smaller roles. Cooling strengthens with altitude, and about a doubling of CO2 cools the stratopause by ~8°C, contributing to less heat escaping to space and a feedback that traps more heat near the surface. The study provides a quantitative mechanism for stratospheric cooling and has implications for understanding atmospheres beyond Earth.

via SciTechDaily|

#carbon-dioxide #cooling #infrared-radiation

animals3 months ago•36 min saved

Why some people are mosquito magnets, and what science now explains

A new review compiles years of work showing mosquitoes locate humans via chemical cues: CO2 in breath guides them from afar, then skin-emitted compounds like carboxylic acids (and related molecules such as 1-octen-3-ol) attract them up close; the skin microbiome and certain pathogens can tilt the balance toward more bites, informing potential repellents and skin-microbiome approaches to reduce transmission risk.

via Earth.com|

#animals #carbon-dioxide #carboxylic-acids

environment3 months ago•17 min saved

Rising CO2 is draining nutrients from staple foods, threatening global health

Rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations are diluting nutrient density in common crops, lowering minerals like zinc and iron in staples such as chickpeas, rice, and wheat. A Leiden University meta-analysis finds nutrient declines since the 1980s with projections showing billions could face hidden hunger and anemia by 2040, especially in low-income regions. The so-called dilution effect occurs as plants accumulate more sugars under higher CO2 but uptake of minerals lags, a problem compounded by soil and temperature changes. Fortification alone isn’t a cure; experts urge diverse diets, nutritious crop varieties, and aggressive emission reductions to protect global health.

via The Washington Post|

#carbon-dioxide #climate-change #environment