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Some of Those 78,000 of People Might Change their Mind However When they Learn of Recent Discoveries About the Content of Martian Dust
Reports from “Humans 2 Mars Summit” suggest dust may prevent human settlement of Mars.
(Phys.org) —Reports Given by Experts in the Space-Health Field Suggest it Might Take Longer for Humans to Build a Colony on Mars than has been Expected.
Such experts speaking to attendees at the recent “Humans 2 Mars Summit” in Washington D.C. expressed concern about the dangers of Martian dust.
They believe the health hazards posed by the Martian regolith could prevent humans from colonizing the planet anytime soon.
Mars surface
The announcement comes on the heels of news from Mars One—the Netherlands based oup selling tickets for a one way trip to the red planet—announcing that over 78,000 people have signed up so far.
Some of those people might change their mind however when they learn of recent discoveries about the content of Martian dust.
NASA’s chief health and medical officer, Richard Williams, told those at the summit that perchlorates appear to be widespread on the planet’s surface.
The fine dust material produced by perchloric acid has been known to cause thyroid problems in people here on Earth.
Mars surface
Just as problematic, Grant Anderson (co-founder of Paragon Space Development) told the audience, is gypsum.
The Curiosity rover has found veins of it near the planet’s surface. Though it’s not toxic, it has been known to cause a condition similar to black lung in coal miners in people exposed to it for long periods of time.
Both types of dust particles are in addition to the known presence of silicates on the Martian surface—if breathed-in they can cause reactions with water in the lungs and result in the creation of harmful chemicals.
Martian dust could pose health hazards because of the difficulty of removing it from space suits and boots. NASA learned during the Apollo space missions that moon dust was a much bigger problem than had been anticipated.
They have reported in the past on the large amounts of dust that stuck to astronaut suits and boots.
Interesting. I live in Alamogordo, New Mexico, right outside the White Sands Missile Test Range. The White Sands are gypsum, great white sand dunes covering many miles and shifting with the winds. We have dust storms here. We also have a lot of perchorates here, which are known to be a product of rocket and missile propellants being burned. Yes, a lot of thyroid problems here. I have a thyroid problem. And, the first atom bomb was detonated in the desert not far from here. But still, Alamogordo is a fairly pleasant place to live.