The first definitive evidence of perchlorate salts was found in 2008 by NASA’s
Phoenix lander. They are at the Curiosity site as well and since they are
toxic to humans, they will pose a potential hazard to future explorers who come
into contact with Martian dust.
I instantly think of the photos taken of Eugene Cernan in the Apollo 17 Lunar Module,
Challenger, his face covered in the grime of Moon dust after doffing his helmet.
See photo here -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:AS17-145-22224.jpg
It will take a concerted protocol for explorers not to come into contact with Mars dust
on a constant basis.
Quote:
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Originally Posted by The Guardian
Leshin said that, as well as the excitement of exploring a new world for the first time, the increasingly detailed analysis of the Martian surface would be critical information for planning human missions. As well as the water discovery, analysis of the soil has also shown, for example, the presence of a type of chemical called a perchlorate, which is can be toxic to people. "It's only there at a 0.5% level in the soil but it impedes thyroid function," she said. "If humans are there and are coming into contact with fine-grained dust, we have to think about how we live with that hazard. To me it's a good connection between the science we do and the future human exploration of Mars."
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Short 2006 article in Science Magazine about how a large study found perchlorate
impacts thyroid function at low does here -
http://news.sciencemag.org/2006/10/p...roid-low-doses
Longer academic paper in Pharmacological Reviews on "Perchlorate and the Thyroid Gland" here -
http://pharmrev.aspetjournals.org/content/50/1/89.full
Curiosity Martian soil sample reveals 2% water content by weight
