Don’t breathe in the dust on Mars.
That’s the takeaway from new research from a team of scientists, including researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder. The findings suggests that long-term exposure to Martian dust could create a host of health problems for future astronauts—leading to chronic respiratory problems, thyroid disease and more.
The study, published in the journal GeoHealth, is the first to take a comprehensive look at the chemical ingredients that make up Martian dust, and their possible impacts on human health. It was undertaken by a team from the worlds of medicine, geology and aerospace engineering.
“This isn't the most dangerous part about going to Mars,” said Justin Wang, lead author of the study and a student in the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. “But dust is a solvable problem, and it’s worth putting in the effort to develop Mars-focused technologies for preventing these health problems in the first place.”
Intensive agriculture leads to the loss of biodiversity – especially in arable farming, where large quantities of pesticides and fertilizers are used. Not only is biodiversity often declining, the species composition is also shifting. (photo Credit: Florian Altermatt)
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