Life On Mars Not Possible; Planet More Toxic Than Thought

Latest study about the Red Planet reveals a special kind of salt interacts with ultraviolet radiation and its soil contains perchlorates, which is an ion composed of four oxygen atoms and one chlorine atom.

Researchers points such perchlorates are highly toxic to life when come in contact with UV radiation. A strain of bacteria was exposed to perchlorates and UV light, and were found dead within a minute.

The bacteria was tried with different kinds of perchlorate, but similar results were found.

More to this, the environmental factors including low temperatures, lack of oxygen additional minerals found on Mars have failed to keep the bacteria alive.

A research says the UV light breaks perchlorate molecules into more reactive ions and this cause the death of bacteria immediately.

Details of the new study are published in the Nature Scientific Reports. It writes if the bacteria can’t survive on the Red Planet, it will be tough to search for organisms living there.

The report is a big blow to the possibility of finding life on the planet.