Ramsar, Iran, as a Natural Radiobiological Surrogate for Mars

Abstract

Terrestrial experiments involving acute exposures of low-LET radiation on inbred lab animals are quick, simple, and inexpensive but are relatively uninformative about the real radiobiological hazards of planned manned space missions. A more predictive model could involve human beings chronically exposed to “space-like” high-LET radiation. Such radiation exposure has been ongoing for thousands of years in Ramsar, Iran, and some other high-LET high background radiation regions on Earth. Examining the health of Ramsar residents can be illuminating and potentially relevant to space missions.