The composition includes perchlorates Mars soil - salts or esters of perchloric acid. Despite the fact that these drugs are extremely harmful to living creatures and plants, they may prove useful for future colonizers of the Red Planet. For example, they may be used for fuel, so send rockets to Earth directly from Mars.
For the first time traces of chlorinated hydrocarbons on the Red Planet were seen in the 1976 Viking Mars Rover. According to experts, perchlorates are 0.5 to 1 per cent of the soil of Mars. Most likely, they are formed by the action of chlorides ultraviolet rays, which, in contrast to terrestrial solar radiation not blocked by ozone.
It is expected the actual population of the earth someday fly to Mars to establish a base there and settlements. The Red Planet will surely looks attractive from the point of view of mineral exploration and development in terms of new spaces for living - because sooner or later the world will simply be crowded, and willy-nilly need to think about relocation to other planets. And Mars is closest to us and the earth is a planet category. Although the key to the existence of human outpost on Mars is its habitability, such as not having a significant threat.
A team of researchers led by Alfonso Davila Institute of SETI (the United States) believe that the fact of the presence of perchlorate on Mars might look in two ways. On the one hand, these drugs are considered toxins to the plants, so the organization of settlements on Mars will need specialized treatment to increase soil salinity soils. Among other things, when ingested perchlorate ions inhibit the work of the thyroid gland, which leads to the disease, as hypothyroidism.
In fact, they are considered poisons, state the researchers. Including and not to have too much, which is located on Mars, enough with the excess, since the dust storms, which often occur on the red planet, toxic substances are deposited on the suits, therefore, the colonists would threaten poisoning every day. In consequence of this, before you enter the building, they will need to handle suits a particular gel, or use specialized suits with an accordion, which will help in going beyond protected area boundaries to reduce the contact surface of the suit with the surrounding atmosphere.
On the other hand, perchlorates are able to bring to future Martian invaders significant benefit. For ammonium perchlorate is a strong oxidizing agent used, for example, in the manufacture of explosives and solid rocket fuel. Consequently, it can be used for fuel production for space units in order to later send missiles on Earth.
Further, the decomposition of perchlorate by heating to dissolve chlorine, nitrogen (or other components from the starting material) and water. And we know that water on Mars is valued almost its weight in gold. In addition, it can be decomposed into oxygen and hydrogen, and in the absence of oxygen on the planet people live unreal.
In the end, perchlorates have every chance to play a grand role for the hypothetical Martian life existing in the form of bacteria. Although we have on Earth and there is a high concentration of perchlorate, however chemoautotrophic organisms have learned to apply them to generate vitality. Many types of bacteria can restore the earth perchlorate to chloride, with the required energy to them, and therefore you can use these micro-organisms to clean water in which excessive amounts of perchlorate.
When using heating perchlorates extract water from the soil of Mars, it will be cleaned in this way (of course, provided that the Red Planet has all the same bacteria). This method of purification is relatively affordable and not dangerous.
Although the most important thing - perchlorates work as anti-freeze, that is, prevent freezing, and because of them the water near the Martian equator longer be able to be in the liquid phase. So simple organisms, as well, have all chances to more effectively apply their energy for his own life.
The findings, made by scientists, confirm once again that we should not look for anything unique. Although perchlorate, by definition, are considered dangerous, possibly to extract from them a lot of benefits. But we must not forget about safety rules when interacting with these drugs.
