Diseases caused by decreased Oxygen levels in atmosphere?

[garybeck]

I heard an interesting theory and haven't been able to find much research on this subject. Maybe some folks here have. it goes like this.

Theory: one of the contributing factors to the increase in many diseases over the last 100 years (cancer....) has been the decreased oxygen levels in the atmosphere.



We all know that CO2 levels are rising. If the levels of one thing are rising, it logically follows that the proportion of other things are decreasing. In other words every breath we take has less percentage, and also quantity, of oxygen.

I have read that oxygen is a recognized therapy for several types of diseases. I have heard, but I don't know if it's true, that cancer cells can't survive in an O2 rich environment.

I've been googling for the history of O2 levels in the atmosphere and can't find much. But if it is true that O2 levels are decreasing at the same time cancer (and other disease) levels are increasing, it is an interesting theory.

If this theory has any truth to it, we need to consider... is global warming just one of the affects of burning so much fossil fuels? while we are on the brink of noticing climate change and global warming, perhaps we are already decades into one of the other affects, but we just haven't linked it to the source yet.

We need oxygen to survive. But it's not an all or nothing scenario, where above a certain amount of oxygen in the atmosphere everything is fine, and below that amount everyond instantly dies. we are changing the makeup of the atmosphere, by dumping large amounts of C02 into it. As this happens, the percentage of other constituents must be decreasing. As this happens, it logically follows that there would be health effects as there is less 02 in the air we breathe.

I'm not a doctor and I haven't been able to verify what the 02 levels are. But I would like some more info on this if anyone cares to chime in.

questions I have include:

What are the 02 levels over the last 100 or 200 years in our atmosphere?

If 02 levels change in the atmosphere, can/does the body have a way to compensate and keep 02 levels constant in the bloodstream, or do 02 levels in the body rise and fall according to levels in the atmosphere? Has the average breath rate changed over the years to compensate for the less 02 in the air?

What types of diseases can be treated with 02 therapy?

Is there a link between burning fossil fuels, decreased 02 levels, and the rise of certain diseases?

thanks

[gravity]

1. o2 levels are stable

Oxygen makes up about 20% of the atmosphere, while co2 is 380 ppm or about 0.038% of the atmosphere. O2 levels aren't going to change much as a result of greenhouse gasses. Just going up 100 feet in elevation would probably decrease the oxygen in the air more than any amount of man made activity.

[garybeck]

3. thanks for that... but...

that shoots down the theory that increasing C02 levels has an effect on 02. however i'd still like to see a historical analysis of 02 levels, and to know what affect atmospheric 02 levels have on human health. ... I didn't realize C02 levels are so low. and just that tiny bit can have such an affect on global warming. scary. thanks for the info.

[tridim]

2. I think oxygen is bad for all cells since it's an oxydizer n/t

[bananas]

4. Otto Warburg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Heinrich_Warburg

<snip>

Warburg reported the fundamental difference between normal and cancerous cells to be the ratio of glycolysis to respiration. This is contrary to the commonly held "uncontrolled growth".

Later, he summarized this hypothesis (meanwhile named 'Warburg's hypothesis') as a book entitled The Prime Cause and Prevention of Cancer which he presented in lecture at the meeting of the Nobel-Laureates on June 30, 1966 at Lindau, Lake Constance, Germany. In this speech, Warburg presented evidence proving anaerobiosis to be a primary cause of cancerous cells.

In recent years, Warburg's hypothesis re-gained significant attention amongst scientists due to several discoveries linking impaired mitochondrial function as well as impaired respiration to growth, division and expansion of cancer cells.

<snip>

[bananas]

5. oxyfiles

http://www.oxyfiles.org/