Med-e-Tel, 2 April 2009, Luxembourg

Health Issues and Space Weather:

an Introduction

Norma B
B. Crosby
Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy, Brussels, Belgium
Welcome to the Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy

http://www.spacepole.be/
http://www.aeronomie.be/
p

“Created in 1964, its main tasks are public service and research in the field of
p
the space aeronomy, y, i.e. tasks that require
q data knowledge,
g ,ggathered using
g
ground-based, balloon, rockets and satellites observations within the
framework of physics and chemistry of the atmosphere and outer space.”
 Acknowledgment

A huge thank you to Dr. Malina Jordanova for

proposing to organize this first
“health effects - space weather” session:

Extreme Environmental Conditions and eHealth

at
Med-e-Tel 2009.
 OUTLINE OF TALK
[1.] Weather in Space [the
dynamic space environment
and space weather induced
effects]
[2.] Space Weather and Health
Issues: in Space
p
[3.] Space Weather and Health
Issues: on Earth?
[an emerging space weather
market?]
[4.] The Future
‰ Health Effects
‰ E-health
[1.] Weather in Space
How to define Space Weather:
“Conditions on the Sun
S n and in the solar
sola wind,
ind magnetosphere,
magnetosphe e
ionosphere, and thermosphere that can influence the
performance and reliability of space-borne and ground-based
technological systems and can endanger human life or health.”
health ”
[ defined by the U.S. National Space Weather Program ]

“Space weather is the physical and phenomenological state of

natural space
p environments. The associated discipline
p aims,,
through observation, monitoring, analysis and modelling, at
understanding and predicting the state of the sun, the
interplanetary
p y and pplanetaryy environments,, and the solar and
non-solar driven perturbations that affect them; and also at
forecasting and nowcasting the possible impacts on biological
and technological
g systems.”
y
[ defined by COST724 Action ]
in more simple
p terms …
How solar activity may have unwanted effects on technological
systems and human activity.

‰ Our location in the solar

system,

‰ Behavior of the Sun,

‰ Nature of Earth’s magnetic

field and atmosphere OR
conditions on any other planet
planet. http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/earth.htm

Courtesy of NASA.
The Sun – the driver of
our local space weather
Twelve X-ray images of the Sun obtained
between 1991 and 1995 at 120-day intervals.
Courtesy of Yohkoh.
Yohkoh

Courtesy of NOAA/NGDC.
Space Weather Induced Effects
Spacecraft have to survive very
hostile environments which can
severely limit space missions as
well as pose threats to humans.

http://www.ifsi-roma.inaf.it/vir/

For example a mission to Mars will

need to consider phenomena such as:
‰ energetic charged particles
‰ plasmas
‰ space debris and meteoroids
‰ UV, X- and gamma-radiation.
[2.] Space Weather and Health Issues: in Space

1. Gravitational Biology: How “cells” feel gravity.

2. Cell Biology: How cell functions are influenced and changed in the
space environment.
3. Developmental Biology: How gravity affects the reproduction,
development,
de e op e t, ggrowth
o t a and
d ageing
age g ofo animals
a as a
andd plants.
p a ts
4. Radiation Biology: How the radiation environment of space affects
cells [space
space weather biological effects
effects].

In summary, acute and stochastic radiation

hazards to astronauts on space missions - i.e.
radiation
di ti sickness
i k and
d accumulated
l t d DNA/cellular
DNA/ ll l
damage.

‰ Missions in Low Earth Orbit

Orbit, return to
the Moon, Mars, etc.
‰ Space Tourism.

‰ Airlines (crew and passengers).

Credits: ESA
[3.] Space Weather and Health Issues: on Earth?
The possibility that solar activity and variations in the
Earth’s magnetic field may affect human health has been
d b t d for
debated f many decades
d d but
b t is
i still
till a “scientific
“ i tifi topic”
t i ” in
i
its infancy.
E. S. Babayev, N. B. Crosby, V. N. Obridko, and M. J. Rycroft.
“Potential Effects of Solar and Geomagnetic Variability on Terrestrial
Biological Systems,” in Recent Advances on Solar and Solar-
Terrestrial Physics, Eds. Maris G. and Popescu M.D., Research
SignPost Ed. House, India, 2009, in print.

If found to be statistically significant, this field of research

will have global implications, especially at high latitudes,
due to globalization and to a growing increase in the
human population there. The consequence of extreme geo-
g
magnitude latitude migrations
g on human health is
specifically unknown.
Palmer, S.J., Rycroft, M.J., and Cermack, M. (2006), Solar
and geomagnetic activity,
activity extremely low frequency
magnetic and electric fields and human health at the
Earth’s surface,, Surv. Geophys.
p y 27,, 557–595,, summarized
some of the major works performed in the field of
heliobiology and solar-terrestrial relations, over the last 30
years. Their three definite
f conclusions were:

1. geomagnetic effects are more pronounced at higher

magnetic latitudes;

1 extremely
1. t l high
hi h as wellll as extremely
t l low
l values
l off
Geomagnetic Activity (GMA) seem to have adverse
health effects;

1. a subset of the population (10–15%) is predisposed

to adverse health due to geomagnetic variations.
Concerning the heliogeophysical activity level and the
human physiological health state the following two
quantifiable measures were considered:

‰ “Indirect indicators” are essentially epidemiological data

showing the temporal and spatial distribution of defined
events or health disturbances involving considerable
numbers of test subjects over several years. These indirect
indicators are: temporal distribution of emergency calls and
hospital admissions, dynamics of industrial (work) and
traffic accidents, etc.

‰ “Direct indicators” are physiological parameters, which

can be objectively verified and which are acquired either in
vivo, directly on the subject (heart rate and its variability,
blood pressure, microcirculation parameters, reaction time),
or in vitro by laboratory diagnostics or tissue investigations
investigations.
Knowing whether human genetics, include regulating factors
that take into account fluctuations of the Earth’s
Earth s magnetic
field & solar disturbances, indeed exist will also benefit
future interplanetary space travelers.

Because the atmospheres

p on other planets
p are different from
ours, as well as their interaction with the space environment,
one may ask whether we are equipped with the genetics
necessary to
t ttake
k thi
this variability
i bilit into
i t account.
t

Identifying
Id tif i ththe physical
h i l links
li k between
b t space weather
th sources
and different effects on human health, as well as the
parameters (“direct”
( direct and “indirect”)
indirect ) to be monitored
monitored, the
potential for such a cross
cross--disciplinary study will be
invaluable,, for scientists and medical doctors,, as well as for
engineers.
engineers
[4.] The Future
Comparing results in the assessment of the degree of
health risk ((both short- and long-term)
g )
[1.] in interplanetary space, [2.] on other planets, and [3.]
on Earth, will indeed provide new innovative information.

TO DO LIST
[1.] Identify what future studies should be carried out in this
emerging discipline.
[2.] Define what is meant by space weather as a health
risk, provide evidence that such risks exist and identify the
l
long-term
t socio-economic
i i effects
ff t on society
i t that
th t suchh
health risks would have.
[3.] Discuss and define the best way forward in regard to
funding agencies and this scientific topic.
 Christopher Columbus
Discovers America

Shackleton, Scott, Wilson

C dit ESA
Credits:
 Courtesy of ESA

Telemedicine goes to Space

[OSIRIS camera on Rosetta].

Health risks for long duration

interplanetary explorative Mars Scenario
missions and those encountered
so far in manned space flight ‰ telecommunications
differ significantly in two major ‰ (signal travel time, 3.1 up to 22.2 min.)
features:
‰ location of Earth and Mars in relation to
1. “Emergency returns” are forecasting
ruled out.
2 The
2. Th loss
l off geomagnetic
ti ‰ radial extrapolations of Solar Proton
shielding available in low Events [~ r -3 ≤ 1 AU]
Earth orbit with an ‰ Mars-Earth phasing [56 – 400 million km].
associated non-negligible
non negligible
risk for acute early
radiation diseases.

What causes the limitations

for mitigation techniques
regarding interplanetary
missions?
(Glasstone, 1968)
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