Study: Mars colonization is a danger to humans
Although there are no real signs about the possibility of humans colonizing Mars, American billionaire Elon Musk is still clinging to his dream of humans colonizing the Red Planet.
But it seems that the idea of colonizing Mars would not be very desirable, given that it could cause serious damage to the organs of the human body, including exposure to cancer-causing radiation, weak bones, and muscle thinning, even if wearing a space suit, according to the British newspaper Daily Mail.
A study revealed that Mars has a thin atmosphere that makes up only 0.6% of Earth's atmosphere. This means that the red planet is constantly exposed to intense cosmic radiation and solar protons, which exposes any human on its surface to high levels of harmful radiation.
It increases the risk of cancer and damage to the brain, heart, and blood vessels.
Risk of cancer
According to NASA, a six-month journey to the disease would expose astronauts to up to 300 millisieverts of radiation, which is the equivalent of 24 CAT scans, before they even reach the planet.
The agency believes that the areas of the body most vulnerable to cancer from cell mutations will be the intestines, lungs, and eyes, as well as the uterus and chest for women.
A study conducted in 2022 said that astronauts will be exposed to radiation at a rate 2.6 times higher than what they are exposed to on board the International Space Station, which increases their risk of infertility and cancer.
The study added that radiation may harm the brain, impair memory and learning abilities, and can leave astronauts unable to make decisions and confused.
Microgravity on Mars also poses serious problems, such as reducing bone density, increasing the risk of bone fractures and muscle deterioration, in addition to the effects of low gravity on the performance of the heart, and increasing fluid inside the head, which may lead to damage to vision.
Mars dust
Polluted dust is widespread on Mars due to the presence of many debris, ancient volcanoes, and valleys, and it contains the compound “perchlorate,” which is one of the toxic compounds in the soil of the Red Planet.
For his part, Karl Winter, a researcher at the University of California, said: “It is believed that perchlorate has its toxic effects in high doses by interfering with the absorption of iodine in the thyroid gland.”
Source: websites