Oxygen is the most important gas for biological life on Earth, although it comprises only 21% of the air in the atmosphere. Oxygen is not a heat-trapping greenhouse gas, its concentration in the atmosphere (such as ozone, which is a form of trioxygen). This affects how much sunlight reaches the ground, thereby changing and regulating the climate.
However, have you ever thought about what would happen if the oxygen levels on Earth were doubled?. Here are the most significant effects of increasing oxygen levels on Earth.
At first glance, increasing oxygen does look beneficial. Because it is through breathing that oxygen enters the body and helps cells convert food into energy.
Effect on humans
If the amount of oxygen increases, the stamina of the body can also increase. Because of the amount of oxygen we breathe so that later it produces energy.
In addition, the presence of a lot of oxygen can also help strengthen human memory and vision. And form the ozone layer on Earth that protects humans from the dangers of sunlight.
This increase in oxygen seems to make the world seem fine, doesn’t it? In fact, neither is it. Precisely the amount of oxygen can make it difficult for humans to breathe, poisoning, and even lead to death.
This happens because the lungs are damaged due to the pockets that help us breathe filled with fluid, difficult to expand and fall. There are also free radicals that will be formed and can damage other cells and make humans grow old quickly.
Increased oxygen will also speed up metabolism. This can lead to overwork on your organs leading to fatigue and fatal consequences for the body. Deaths from exhaustion will occur more frequently than deaths from disease.
Effect on flora life
If the oxygen is doubled, the most significant change is the acceleration of processes such as respiration and combustion. With more fuel, namely oxygen, forest fires will get bigger and bigger. Wet vegetation will also provide no protection. Anything and everything will be more flammable.
Forest fires will become common with double the available oxygen because they can start fires.
At the same time, processes such as photosynthesis will slow down due to lower concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The green vegetation would give way to a more prehistoric landscape, filled with moss and fungus.
Effect on atmosphere
With increasing oxygen levels, the density of air in the atmosphere will also increase. This, in turn, will allow airplanes, gliders, parachutes, and birds to fly higher in the sky and stay flying for longer periods of time.
Higher oxygen concentrations will cause a thicker atmosphere, which will scatter more sunlight, make the sky look bluer and lower the air temperature.
The state of 300 million years ago
Apparently, the incidence of increased oxygen had occurred about 300 million years ago, where the amount of oxygen in the air was 50% higher than today.
As a result of this incident, the insects had to adapt themselves, and in the past the size of the insect could be equal to that of an eagle.
There is a positive side that we can take if oxygen levels on Earth increase, but there is a negative side that can harm humans. That is the benchmark that something excessive is not profitable.
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