“Joint NASA-ESA-DARA Study. Part three: effects of chronically elevated CO2 on mental performance during 26 days of confinement”, Manzey & Lorenz 1998 (requested); comparing 7000 to 12000PPM
Emergency and Continuous Exposure Guidance Levels for Selected Submarine Contaminants, National Research Council (2007), chapter 3 “Carbon Dioxide”; many negative mental and physical effects at extremely high CO2 concentrations >50000PPM; consistent statistically-significant effects below that tend to be harder to find but from the descriptions, they often were not using sensitive tests of higher cognitive functioning, a broad array of different measurements, and very small sample sizes; I suspect a meta-analysis grouping tasks by domain with some correction for ceiling effects might turn in a very different conclusion than their fairly sanguine conclusion that there are no cognitive impairments <40000PPM and <25000PPM is a perfectly safe limit. (Oddly enough, I came across this book on an anti-global-warming site; apparently Satish et al 2012 is really just global warming propaganda scare tactics, because the Navy has proven that CO2 is perfectly safe.) Cited for cognitive effects:
Brown, E.W. 1930. “The physiological effects of high concentrations of carbon dioxide”. U.S. Naval Med. Bull. 28:721-934 (as cited in NRC 1996).
Gellhorn, E., and I. Spiesman. 1934. “Influence of variations of O2 and CO2 tension in inspired air upon hearing”. Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med. 32:46-47.
Gellhorn, E., and I. Spiesman. 1935. “Influence of hypercapnea and of variations of O2- and CO2-tension in inspired air upon hearing”. Am. J. Physiol. 112:519-528 (as cited in NRC 1996)
Glatte, Jr., H.A., G.J. Motsay, and B.E. Welch. 1967. “Carbon Dioxide Tolerance Studies”. Rep. No. SAM-TR-67-77. Aerospace Medical Division, USAF School of Aerospace Medicine, Brooks Air Force Base, San Antonio, TX (as cited in NRC 1996).
Radziszewski, E., L. Giacomoni, and R. Guillerm. 1988. “Effets physiologiques chez l’homme du confinement du longue duree en atmosphere enrichie en dioxyde de carbone”. Pp. 19-23 in Proceedings of the Colloquium on Space and Sea [in French]. European Space Agency, Brussels, Belgium (as cited in NRC 1996).
Schaefer, K.E. 1961. “A concept of triple tolerance limits based on chronic carbon dioxide toxicity studies”. Aeromed. Acta. 32:197-204.
Sinclair, R.D., J.M. Clark, and B.E. Welch. 1969. “Carbon dioxide tolerance levels for space cabins”. Proceedings of the Fifth Annual Conference on Atmospheric Contamination in Confined Spaces, September 16-18, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, OH.
Storm, W.F., and C.L. Giannetta. 1974. “Effects of hypercapnia and bedrest on psychomotor performance”. Aerosp. Med. 45(4):431-433.
Sun, M., C. Sun, and Y. Yang. 1996. “Effect of low-concentration CO2 on stereoacuity and energy expenditure”. Aviat. Space Environ. Med. 67(1):34-39.
Wamsley, J.R., E.W. Youngling, and W.F. Behm. 1969. “High fidelity simulations in the evaluation of environmental stress: Acute CO2 exposure”. Aerospace Med. 40:1336-1340 (as cited in NRC 1996).
Yang, Y., S. Changnian, and M. Sun. 1997. “The effect of moderately increased CO2 concentration on perception of coherent motion”. Aviat. Space Environ. Med. 68(3):187-19.1
Bennett, B. L., Schlichting, C. L., & Bondi, K. R. (1985). “Cardiorespiratory fitness and cognitive performance before and after confinement in a nuclear submarine”. Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine, 56(11), 1085-1091
Frey, M. A., Sulzman, F. M., Oser, H.,& Ruyters, G. (1998). “Joint NASA-ESA-DARA study, part one: the effects of moderately elevated ambient carbon dioxide levels on human physiology and performance”. Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine, 69(3), 282-284.
James, J.T., & Macatangay, A. (2009). “Carbon dioxide—our common ‘enemy’” (NASA Technical PublicationJSC-CN-18669, JSC-CN-19102). Houston, TX: Johnson Space Center.
James, J.T.(2007). “The headache of carbon dioxide exposure”. Society of Automotive Engineers, Technical Paper.
Manzey, D., Lorenz, B., & Finell, G. (1995). “Effects of CO2 on cognitive, psychomotor, and time-sharing during 26 days of confinement”. ASGSB Bulletin, 9, 59
Sayers, J. A., Smith, R. E., Holland, R. L., & Keatinge, W. R. (1987). “Effects of carbon dioxide on mental performance”. Journal of Applied Physiology, 63(1), 25-30.
Vercruyssen, M. (1984). “Breathing 3-4% CO2: behavioral effects”. In: Kamon, E., Deno, N., & Vercruyssen, M. Physiological responses of miners to emergency. Contract report to the U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Mines (Grant 50-100092O), 1984, vol. 2, 56-74.
Vercruyssen, M., Hancock, P. A., & Mihaly, T. (1988). “Behavioral toxicology: effects of breathing 4% carbon dioxide on cognition”. Proceedings of the 10th Congress of the International Ergonomics Association, 508-510.
Berry, R.B., Mahutte, C.K., & Light, R.W. (1993) “Effect of hypercapnia on the arousal response to airway occlusion during sleep in normal subjects”. Journal of Applied Physiology, 74(5), 2269-2275
Berthon-Jones, M., & Sullivan, C.E. (1984). “Ventilation and arousal responses to hypercapnia in normal sleeping humans”. Journal of Applied Physiology, 57(1), 59-67
Frey, M. A., Sulzman, F. M., Oser, H.,& Ruyters, G. (1998). “Joint NASA-ESA-DARA study, part one: the effects of moderately elevated ambient carbon dioxide levels on human physiology and performance”. Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine, 69(3), 282-284
Gundel, A., Drescher, J., & Weihrauch, M. R. (1998a). “Joint NASA-ESA-DARA Study, part three: cardiorespiratory response to elevated CO2 levels during sleep”. Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine, 69(5), 496-500
Samel, A., Vejvoda,M., Wittiber, K., & Wenzel, J. (1998). “Joint NASA-ESA-DARA study. Part three: circadian rhythms and activity-rest cycle under different CO2 concentrations”. Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine, 69(5), 501-505.
Laverge & Janssens 2011; 6 students over 1 month with 2-week periods of open/closed windows, comparing peaks of 1000-2500PPM to 3000-4500PPM. Some evidence for improvement.
Strøm-Tejsen et al 2014a; within-subject comparison of 14 students sleeping in 660PPM vs 2585PPM conditions
Strøm-Tejsen et al 2014b; within-subject comparison of 16 students sleeping in 835PPM vs 2395PPM conditions (as controlled by a fan with a CO2 sensor; very quiet but blinding may not’ve succeeded)
Drowsiness which can affect work performance, is often elicited through self-reporting. This paper demonstrates the potential to use EEG to objectively quantify changes to drowsiness due to poor indoor air quality. Continuous EEG data was recorded from 23 treatment group participants subject to artificially raised indoor CO2 concentrations (average 2,700 ± 300 ppm) for approximately 10 minutes and 13 control group participants subject to the same protocol without additional CO2 (average 830 ± 70 ppm). EEG data were analysed for markers of drowsiness according neurophysiological methods at three stages of the experiment, Baseline, High CO2 and Post-Ventilation. Treatment group participants’ EEG data yielded a closer approximation to drowsiness than that of control group participants during the High CO2 condition, despite no significant group differences in self-reported sleepiness. Future work is required to determine the persistence of these changes to EEG over longer exposures and to better isolate the specific effect of CO2 on drowsiness compared to other environmental or physiological factors.
Some followup links:
“Effects of CO2 and N2 partial pressures on cognitive and psychomotor performance”, Fothergill et al 1991 (negative effects at 1 atmosphere; they vary CO2 levels from the normal level of 0.23mmHg to 29/47/57 mmHg, or 38k/62k/75k PPM?)
“Joint NASA-ESA-DARA Study. Part three: effects of chronically elevated CO2 on mental performance during 26 days of confinement”, Manzey & Lorenz 1998 (requested); comparing 7000 to 12000PPM
Emergency and Continuous Exposure Guidance Levels for Selected Submarine Contaminants, National Research Council (2007), chapter 3 “Carbon Dioxide”; many negative mental and physical effects at extremely high CO2 concentrations >50000PPM; consistent statistically-significant effects below that tend to be harder to find but from the descriptions, they often were not using sensitive tests of higher cognitive functioning, a broad array of different measurements, and very small sample sizes; I suspect a meta-analysis grouping tasks by domain with some correction for ceiling effects might turn in a very different conclusion than their fairly sanguine conclusion that there are no cognitive impairments <40000PPM and <25000PPM is a perfectly safe limit. (Oddly enough, I came across this book on an anti-global-warming site; apparently Satish et al 2012 is really just global warming propaganda scare tactics, because the Navy has proven that CO2 is perfectly safe.) Cited for cognitive effects:
(requested the missing ones)
More:
Allen, J. G., MacNaughton, P., Satish, U., Santanam, S., Vallarino, J., & Spengler, J. D. (2015). “Associations of cognitive function scores with carbon dioxide, ventilation, and volatile organic compound exposures in office workers: a controlled exposure study of green and conventional office environments”. EnvironmentalHealth Perspectives,DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1510037.
Apte, M. G., Fisk, W. J., & Daisey, J. M. (2000). “Associations between indoor CO2 concentrations and Sick Building Syndrome symptoms in U.S. office buildings: an analysis of the 1994-1996 BASE study data”. Indoor Air, 10(4), 246-257.
Bakó-Biró, Z., Clements-Croome, D. J., Kochhar, N., Awbi, H. B., & Williams, M. J. (2012). “Ventilation rates in schools and pupils’ performance”. Building and Environment, 48, 215-223.
Bennett, B. L., Schlichting, C. L., & Bondi, K. R. (1985). “Cardiorespiratory fitness and cognitive performance before and after confinement in a nuclear submarine”. Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine, 56(11), 1085-1091
Bloch-Salisbury,E., Lansing, R., & Shea, S. A. (2000). “Acute changes in carbon dioxide levels alter the electroencephalogram without affecting cognitive function”. Psychophysiology, 37, 418-426.
Caretti, D.M. (1999). “Cognitive performance and mood during respirator wear and exercise”. AmericanIndustrial Hygiene Association Journal, 60(2), 213-218.
Cronyn, P. D., Watkins, S., Alexander, D.J. (2012). “Chronic exposure to moderately elevated CO2 during long-duration space flight”. (NASATechnical PublicationTP-2012-217). Houston, TX: Johnson Space Center.
Frey, M. A., Sulzman, F. M., Oser, H.,& Ruyters, G. (1998). “Joint NASA-ESA-DARA study, part one: the effects of moderately elevated ambient carbon dioxide levels on human physiology and performance”. Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine, 69(3), 282-284.
Garner, M., Attwood, A., Baldwin, D. S., James, A., & Munafò, M. R. (2011). “Inhalation of 7.5% carbon dioxide increases threat processing in humans”. Neuropsychopharmacology, 36(8), 1557-1562.
Harter, M. R. (1967). “Effects of carbon dioxide on the alpha frequency and reaction time in humans”. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology, 23, 561-563.
Henning, R. A., Sauter, S. L., Lanphier, E. H., & Reddan, W. G. (1990). “Behavioral effects of increased CO2 load in divers”. Undersea Biomedical Research, 17(2), 109-120
James, J.T., & Macatangay, A. (2009). “Carbon dioxide—our common ‘enemy’” (NASA Technical PublicationJSC-CN-18669, JSC-CN-19102). Houston, TX: Johnson Space Center.
James, J.T.(2007). “The headache of carbon dioxide exposure”. Society of Automotive Engineers, Technical Paper.
Law, J., & Watkins, S.(2009). “In-flight carbon dioxide exposures and related symptoms”. NASATechnical Publication
Manzey, D., Lorenz, B., & Finell, G. (1995). “Effects of CO2 on cognitive, psychomotor, and time-sharing during 26 days of confinement”. ASGSB Bulletin, 9, 59
Sayers, J. A., Smith, R. E., Holland, R. L., & Keatinge, W. R. (1987). “Effects of carbon dioxide on mental performance”. Journal of Applied Physiology, 63(1), 25-30.
Selkirk, A., Shykoff, B., & Briggs, J. (2010). “Cognitive effects of hypercapnia on immersed working divers”. Naval Sea Systems Command, Navy Experimental Diving Unit, Technical Report
Seppanen, O. A., Fisk, W. J., & Mendell, M. J.(1999). “Association of ventilation rates and CO2 concentrations with health and other responses in commercial and institutional buildings”. Indoor Air,9(4), 226-252.
Sheehy, J. B., Kamon, E., & Kiser,D.(1982). “Effects of carbon dioxide inhalation on psychomotor and mental performance during exercise and recovery”. The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society,24(5), 581-588
Vercruyssen, M., Kamon, E., & Hancock, P. A. (2007). “Effects of carbon dioxide inhalation on psychomotor and mental performance during exercise and recovery”. International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics, 13(1), 15-27 [yes, apparently they do have the same exact titles]
Vercruyssen, M. (1984). “Breathing 3-4% CO2: behavioral effects”. In: Kamon, E., Deno, N., & Vercruyssen, M. Physiological responses of miners to emergency. Contract report to the U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Mines (Grant 50-100092O), 1984, vol. 2, 56-74.
Vercruyssen, M., Hancock, P. A., & Mihaly, T. (1988). “Behavioral toxicology: effects of breathing 4% carbon dioxide on cognition”. Proceedings of the 10th Congress of the International Ergonomics Association, 508-510.
Wargocki, P., Wyon, D.O., Sundell, J., Clausen, G., & Fanger, P.O. (2000). “The effects of outdoor air supply rate in an office on perceived air quality, Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) symptoms and productivity”. Indoor Air, 10, 222-236
Weybrew, B. B. (1970). “An exploratory study of the psychological effects of intermittent exposure to elevated carbon dioxide levels”. Rep. No. 647. US Naval Submarine Medical Research Lab,Naval Submarine Medical Center. Retrieved January 20, 2016, from http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/xmlui/handle/123456789/8689
Button et al 2016, “Acute anxiety and social inference: An experimental manipulation with 7.5% carbon dioxide inhalation”
Sleep oriented studies:
Ayas, N.T., Brown, R., & Shea, S.A. (2000). “Hypercapnia can induce arousal from sleep in the absence of altered respiratory mechanoreception”. AmericanJournal ofRespiratory andCriticalCare Medicine, 162(3 Pt 1), 1004-1008.
Berry, R.B., Mahutte, C.K., & Light, R.W. (1993) “Effect of hypercapnia on the arousal response to airway occlusion during sleep in normal subjects”. Journal of Applied Physiology, 74(5), 2269-2275
Berthon-Jones, M., & Sullivan, C.E. (1984). “Ventilation and arousal responses to hypercapnia in normal sleeping humans”. Journal of Applied Physiology, 57(1), 59-67
Frey, M. A., Sulzman, F. M., Oser, H.,& Ruyters, G. (1998). “Joint NASA-ESA-DARA study, part one: the effects of moderately elevated ambient carbon dioxide levels on human physiology and performance”. Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine, 69(3), 282-284
Gundel, A., Drescher, J., & Weihrauch, M. R. (1998a). “Joint NASA-ESA-DARA Study, part three: cardiorespiratory response to elevated CO2 levels during sleep”. Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine, 69(5), 496-500
Samel, A., Vejvoda,M., Wittiber, K., & Wenzel, J. (1998). “Joint NASA-ESA-DARA study. Part three: circadian rhythms and activity-rest cycle under different CO2 concentrations”. Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine, 69(5), 501-505.
Laverge & Janssens 2011; 6 students over 1 month with 2-week periods of open/closed windows, comparing peaks of 1000-2500PPM to 3000-4500PPM. Some evidence for improvement.
Strøm-Tejsen et al 2014a; within-subject comparison of 14 students sleeping in 660PPM vs 2585PPM conditions
Strøm-Tejsen et al 2014b; within-subject comparison of 16 students sleeping in 835PPM vs 2395PPM conditions (as controlled by a fan with a CO2 sensor; very quiet but blinding may not’ve succeeded)
A new one: “Using EEG to characterise drowsiness during short duration exposure to elevated indoor Carbon Dioxide concentrations”, Snow et al 2018:
Some recent kerfluffles over CO2 (prompted by people rediscovering Allen et al 2016 on Twitter etc) lead me to one I missed: “Breathing Carbon Dioxide (4% for 1-Hour) Slows Response Selection, Not Stimulus Encoding”, Vercruyssen 2014. 4% is a ton but the results remain subtle, at best.