Proved the impossibility of the existence of life on Mars
Scientists from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland found that Mars is not suitable for the existence of microorganisms due to the presence on the surface of a chemical compounds called perchlorates. These substances are the salts of perchloric acid and toxic for living beings.
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The study is published in the journal Scientific Reports.
Biologists have studied the effects of perchlorate at concentrations characteristic of the Martian soil, the bacterium Bacillus subtilis, which is often found on the spacecraft and serves as a source of biological contamination.
It turned out that in combination with ultraviolet radiation, the toxicity of the compounds increases, making them deadly for microorganisms. In the result, B. subtilis is killed in a few minutes.
According to experts, the other occurring on the surface of Mars substances — oxides of iron and hydrogen peroxide enhance the effects of perchlorates, accelerating the death of bacteria at 10.8 times.
Perchlorates have been found on the red planet in 2008, when the lander “Phoenix” has analysed the chemical composition of Martian soil. It turned out that the concentration of compounds in the soil was 0.4−0.6%. This value was confirmed by samples taken by the Curiosity Rover. Given that the surface of the planet falls ultraviolet radiation, the content of perchlorates may cause no alien life forms.