The Sun can kill. Until Earth developed its ozone layer hundreds of millions of years ago, life couldn\u2019t venture out onto dry land for fear of exposure to the Sun\u2019s deadly ultraviolet radiation. Even now, the 1% of its UV radiation that reaches the surface can cause cancer and even death. <\/p>\n
Astronauts outside of Earth\u2019s protective ozone layer and magnetic shield are exposed to far more radiation than on the planet\u2019s surface. Exposure to radiation from the Sun and elsewhere in the cosmos is one of the main hurdles that must be cleared in long-duration space travel or missions to the lunar and Martian surfaces. <\/p>\n
Unfortunately, there\u2019s no harmonized approach to understanding the complexity of the hazard and protecting astronauts from it. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Astronauts haven\u2019t gone further into space than the ISS for decades. But if Artemis lives up to its promise, they\u2019re about to leave Earth and its protective environment behind. Artemis will land astronauts on the Moon, which could be an intermediate step to an eventual landing on Mars. What hazards does radiation pose, and how can astronauts be protected?<\/p>\n A new research editorial in the Journal of Medical Physics examines the issue. It is titled \u201cSystem of radiological protection: Towards a consistent framework on Earth and in space.\u201d The lead author is Werner\u00a0R\u00fchm from the Federal Office for Radiation Protection, M\u00fcnchen (Neuherberg), Germany. The same issue of the Journal of Medical Physics contains several other articles about radiation exposure. Together, they\u2019re part of a research effort by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP)\u00a0to update and harmonize radiation exposure guidelines.<\/p>\n The term \u2018radiation\u2019 is descriptive enough that most of us recognize the potential threat. However, when it comes to variable space environments and human physiology, the word holds a lot more detail. The authors use the term \u2018mixed radiation field\u2019 to describe the radiation environment astronauts must endure.<\/p>\n \u201cThe mixed-radiation field outside and within a space vehicle is of particular complexity involving not only low-linear energy transfer (LET) radiation such as gamma radiation, electrons, and positrons but also high-LET radiation such as neutrons and heavy ions,\u201d the authors write. The components of the field contain a wide span of particles with different energy levels. \u201cThe quantitative and even qualitative risks of exposure to the combined impact of a complex radiation environment, microgravity, and other stressors remain unclear,\u201d they explain.<\/p>\n One problem in preparing for exposure to these mixed radiation fields is the different approaches taken by different countries and space agencies. <\/p>\n According to lead author R\u00fchm, this disharmony is caused by \u201cthe complex and dynamic radiation environments and an incomplete understanding of their biological consequences. Because of this, space agencies follow somewhat different concepts to quantify radiation doses and their resulting health effects.\u201d <\/p>\n This paper and its companions are part of an effort to unify our understanding of radiation and its hazards and to harmonize the various approaches to dealing with them. The goal is to develop a \u201cconsistent radiological protection framework.\u201d To do that, the authors explain that several questions need answers:<\/p>\n This list of questions vividly illustrates the complexity of the radiation exposure problem. Answering them will help harmonize the approach to radiation on space missions. <\/p>\n R\u00fchm and his colleagues want to support space agencies as they harmonize and coordinate their guidelines for astronauts\u2019 exposure to radiation. The goal is to develop an approach consistent with the thorough guidelines followed here on Earth. <\/p>\n The difference between how males and females respond to radiation illustrates one of the problems in developing radiation exposure guidelines. In past decades, much medical research was based on males and the results were applied to females as well. According to R\u00fchm, the same thing has happened with radiation. <\/p>\n \u201cIt is worth mentioning that on Earth, the System developed by ICRP does not include any systematic differentiation between recommendations on limits for males and females,\u201d the authors write. This is in spite of the fact that it is \u201cwell known that there are individual differences in radiation sensitivity between males and females.\u201d The difference is largely because reproductive tissue is more susceptible to radiation than other tissue, and women have more of it.<\/p>\n NASA has developed a different approach to radiation exposure because of this. \u201cThis standard is based on a REID (Risk of Exposure-Induced Death) of 3% calculated for cancer mortality in the most vulnerable group of astronauts\u2013\u201335-year-old females,\u201d the authors write. Scientists understand that females are more vulnerable to radiation than males and that younger females are more sensitive than older females. It\u2019s worth noting that astronauts are unlikely to be under the age of 35. <\/p>\n The difference between the sexes isn\u2019t the only thing that needs to be addressed when it comes to astronauts\u2019 exposure to radiation. Different sub-populations might have different risk factors; there are lifestyle-related risks, different mission architectures hold different risks, and many other factors come into play. Harmonizing an approach with all of these different factors is a daunting task.<\/p>\n Difficult or not\u2014and there\u2019s nothing easy about space travel\u2014a harmonized and coordinated approach to understanding the radiation risk is the logical next step. Artemis itself is a collaboration between different nations and agencies, and it\u2019s only fair to the astronauts themselves that they have the same protections and considerations when it comes to radiation exposure. <\/p>\n R\u00fchm and his colleagues hope that their work will help lead to a harmonized approach to assessing the radiation hazards faced by astronauts in mixed radiation fields. We owe it to the people willing to put their lives on the line and serve as astronauts.<\/p>\n \u201cAdventurous people have always tried to widen their horizon, this is part of our very nature as humans,\u201d R\u00fchm says. \u201cOur work contributes to and supports one of the most exciting and challenging human endeavors ever undertaken.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
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