Living on Mars Can Shrink Heart, Cause Brain Damage, Increase Risk of Cancer [Report]

Elon Musk wants to explore Mars as a potential habitat. However, according to a report, the environment on the Red Planet is not meant for humans to survive.

Conditions on Mars Could Seriously Damage Multiple Parts of Human Bodies

The SpaceX CEO dreamt of a multi-planetary home. The next planet closest to Earth and Musk wants to explore as a potential habitat is Mars.

However, in case we reach safely there, our bodies might not last long due to its cancer-causing radiation that could thin muscles and weaken the bones, Daily Mail reported.

When humans fly to Mars, they will be exposed to extremely harmful radiation - about 300 milliSieverts of radiation - the equivalent of 24 CAT scans before they even get into the planet.

When they land on the planet, they are at increased risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, brain damage, cognitive decrements and more health problems.

According to Robert Wimmer-Schweingruber at the University of Kiel in Germany, astronauts on Mars would be exposed to a significant amount of radiation because they would be there longer than passengers or pilots on transatlantic flights. He added that we are not designed to survive space radiation.

A 2019 study led by European Space Agency (ESA) said Mars astronauts could be exposed to 700 times the radiation they experienced on Earth. The body parts that are highly at risk of developing cancer are the eyes, lungs and intestines. For women, it includes breasts and the uterus.

A 2020 study also discovered that astronauts would be exposed to radiation 2.6 times higher than on board the International Space Station, raising their risk of cancer and infertility.

Aside from affecting certain body parts, radiation can damage the brain and impair one's memory and learning abilities. Other studies show astronauts getting confused and unable to make decisions.

ALSO READ: NASA's Curiosity Rover Discovers Wave Ripples Supporting History of Water on Mars

What is Space Radiation?

Space radiation is distinct from the radiation we experience on Earth. Radiation from space is composed of atoms whose electrons have been stripped away as the atom accelerated in interstellar space to speeds approaching the speed of light - eventually, only the atom's nucleus remains, according to NASA.

There are three types of radiation in space - particles trapped in the Earth's magnetic field, particles ejected into space during solar flares (solar particle events), and galactic cosmic rays, which are high-energy protons and heavy ions from beyond our solar system. All of these forms of interplanetary radiation are ionizing.

However, not entirely. The magnetic fields that surround the Earth and the Earth's atmosphere shield life on Earth from the full impact of solar and cosmic radiation. The Earth's magnetic field also produces radiation belts.

The inner radiation belt, also known as the Van Allen Belt, is composed of ionizing radiation in the form of extremely energetic protons, which are the byproducts of collisions between galactic cosmic rays and atoms of the Earth's atmosphere. Protons and electrons comprise the outer radiation belts.

As we move away from Earth's protective shields, we are exposed to the full spectrum of radiation and its damaging effects.

In addition to a protective atmosphere, it is fortunate that the Earth also possesses a magnetic field. It protects us from the full impact of solar wind and GCR. Without this protection, the biosphere of the Earth might not exist as it does today or would be confined to the subsurface.