Cosmic radiation is one of the sources of ionizing radiation on Earth and background radiation on Earth. Recent measurements show that cosmic rays have increased by more than 18% since 2015. Unfortunately, there is no real protection against cosmic rays.
The effect of cosmic radiation on living organisms, including humans
The results of a study conducted by employees of the University of Sofia Antipolis in Nice show that cosmic radiation played a crucial role in the origin of biological life on Earth.
It has long been known that amino acids can exist in two forms - left-sided and right-sided. However, on the Earth, only left-sided amino acids are the basis of all biological organisms that have developed naturally.
According to university staff, the cause should be sought in space. The so-called circularly polarized cosmic radiation destroyed the right-handed amino acids. Circularly polarized light is a form of radiation polarized by cosmic electromagnetic fields.
Such radiation is formed when interstellar dust particles line up along the lines of magnetic fields that penetrate the entire surrounding space. Circularly polarized light accounts for 17% of all cosmic radiation anywhere in space. Depending on the side of polarization, such light selectively cleaves one of the types of amino acids, which is confirmed by the experiment and the results of the study of two meteorites.
Cosmic radiation is one of the sources of ionizing radiation on Earth.
People living above 2000 m above sea level receive several times more effective equivalent dose due to cosmic rays than those living at sea level. When rising from a height of 4000 m (maximum altitude of people) to 12000 m (maximum altitude of passenger transport), the exposure level increases by 25 times.
Ionizing radiation negatively affects human health, it disrupts the vital activity of living organisms:
Having a high penetrating ability, destroys the most intensely dividing cells of the body: bone marrow, digestive tract, etc.
· Causes changes at the gene level, which subsequently leads to mutations and the occurrence of hereditary diseases.
· Causes intensive cell division of malignant neoplasms, which leads to the occurrence of cancer.
· Leads to changes in the nervous system and heart function.
· Repressed sexual function.
· Causes visual impairment.
The danger of radiation exposure to ionizing radiation in low doses is due to an increased risk of cancer and hereditary diseases. The greatest danger of intergalactic rays is represented by heavy charged particles.
Cosmic rays can affect the weather and climate of the Earth.
British meteorologists have shown that during periods of greatest activity of cosmic rays, cloudy weather is observed.
The fact is that when cosmic particles burst into the atmosphere, they generate wide “showers” of charged and neutral particles, which can provoke the growth of droplets in the clouds and an increase in cloudiness.
The relationship of cosmic radiation and epidemics
Due to the effect of cosmic radiation, microflora begins to multiply more intensively and the person's predisposition to many infectious diseases increases.
Cosmic radiation means not only radiation from deep space, but also solar radiation. Now the sun has been in a record inactive state for a long time, but this only means that there are no solar flares, and solar radiation continues to penetrate the Earth’s atmosphere through the weakened magnetic field of the planet with the solar wind.
But while the planet’s geomagnetic shield protects us from solar flares and solar wind, it’s not the Earth’s magnetic field that protects us from the attack of cosmic rays, but a thick layer of the atmosphere, where for every cm2 of surface there is a kilogram of air. The more problems with the Earth’s atmosphere, the more cosmic rays affect living organisms.
Thus, we see that even a small part of cosmic radiation that reaches us through the atmosphere can have a noticeable effect on the body and human health, on the processes taking place in the atmosphere.
One of the hypotheses of the origin of life on Earth, suggests that cosmic particles play a significant role in biological and chemical processes on our planet.
Why are cosmic rays amplified?
The main reason is the sun. Solar storm clouds, such as coronal mass ejection (CMEs), sweep away cosmic rays as they pass the Earth.
Now there is a minimum of solar activity, allowing cosmic rays to freely penetrate the earth's atmosphere.
Another reason could be the weakening of the Earth’s magnetic field, which helps protect us from radiation from deep space.
