"Martian dust isn’t just a nuisance, it could cause serious health problems. Researchers found it’s filled with toxic compounds that could scar lungs and disrupt thyroid function, posing a real danger to future astronauts. Credit: SciTechDaily.com
"Mars might be a thrilling destination, but its dust could be deadly."
"A team of scientists warns that long-term exposure to Martian dust could harm future astronauts’ lungs, thyroids, and more. Packed with toxic compounds like silicates and perchlorates, the dust is small enough to bypass our body’s defenses and enter the bloodstream. Drawing on rover data and meteorite analysis, researchers say now is the time to develop filters, supplements, and preventive measures before humans ever set foot on the Red Planet."
(ScitechDaily, Mars Is Covered in Toxic Dust – And It’s a Serious Threat to Human Exploration)
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Mars's surface is covered by red sand.
That sand can form a dust storm called "Sand devils".
It's possible that dust storms can form static electricity. That electricity can cause problems with electronics. Static electricity is not the only thing that can cause problems on the red planet. There are also chemical dangers. And the space crew must clean all that dust from their suits. The dust itself can slip under the computer consoles. And that can cause a malfunction in the keyboards.
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"They include minerals rich in silicates and iron oxides, metals like beryllium and arsenic, and a particularly nasty class of compounds called perchlorates."
"In many cases, those ingredients are present in only trace amounts in Mars dust. But the first human explorers on Mars may spend around a year and a half on the surface, increasing their exposure, said study co-author Brian Hynek."
“You’re going to get dust on your spacesuits, and you’re going to have to deal with regular dust storms,” said Hynek, a geologist at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at CU Boulder. “We really need to characterize this dust so that we know what the hazards are.”
(ScitechDaily, Mars Is Covered in Toxic Dust – And It’s a Serious Threat to Human Exploration)
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There are also long carbon molecules on the Red Planet's surface. Those carbon molecules are dangerous if they can go into living cells. Long carbon-chain molecules can open in the cell. And then they can cause damage to the cell's internal structures. That kind of damage can kill the entire cell. The thing is that. Mars is a very dry and cold place.
There is no liquid water. And that makes chemical reactions different from what they are on Earth. Mars is a very stable place. On that can form molecules that do not exist on Earth. Those molecules can form in a very long time.
https://scitechdaily.com/life-on-mars-nasas-curiosity-rover-finds-prebiotic-clues-in-a-3-7-billion-year-old-rock/
https://scitechdaily.com/mars-is-covered-in-toxic-dust-and-its-a-serious-threat-to-human-exploration/
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