Salts on Mars? Why New Chemical Perchlorate Could be Dangerous to Human Explorers

NASA has unearthed a shocking discovery on Mars. Scientists have revealed the existence of salts called perchlorate on the red planet, and it's everywhere. However, the existence of this salt in Mars could be both beneficial and harmful.

According to Astronomy, perchlorate can be broken down to release oxygen which is beneficial to future human explorations or settlement. It's also a major component or rocky propellants and allows the existence of water on the red planet despite the pressure in its atmosphere.

Perchlorate was first discovered in 2009 by NASA's Phoenix lander. Last year, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter also discovered large amounts of the Martian salt on the planet's surface created from waterflow called recurring slope lineae. Research shows that perchlorate is 10,000 times more abundant on the planet than sands and soils. And even though it has useful properties that are beneficialial to Mars' existence, it also poses several dangers, especially to human health.

Science World Report notes that exposure to perchlorate (ClO4–) , which is a negative ion, can cause hyperthyroidism. Mayo Clinic says that this condition occurs when the thyroid gland has an overproduction of the thyroxine hormone, accelerating metabolism that results in sudden weight loss, irregular heartbeat, sweating, nervousness and irritability.

Also, even though perchlorate keeps water on Mars flowing, it's toxic. Compared to Antartica's Don Juan Pond which has 44 percent salinity, researchers say that Mars' surface water is more briny. This means that it cannot support microbial life and can cause life-threatening diseases such as agranulocytosis, a severe lack of white blood cells, and aplastic anemia, a deficiency of all types of blood cells caused by failure of bone marrow development. Perchlorate is also dangerous for babies and lactating mothers.

Astronomy notes that this recent discovery is alarming for a planet that's been treated as a possible habitable zone in the future. The presence of perchlorate shows that further study is needed with regards to the potential health threats on Mars.