科學家首次用火星"土壤"種出可食用作物
Hopes for a colony on Mars took a step forward after scientists proved it was possible to grow edible food in Martian soil for the first time.
殖民火星的希望向前邁進了一步:科學家首次證實在火星土壤上是有可能種出可食用作物的。Researchers in the Netherlands have been attempting to grow crops in soils created to simulate conditions on the Red Planet and also the Moon. Scientists of Wageningen University And Research Centre, Wageningen, were concerned that even if food grew it would contain dangerous levels of metals which would be toxic to humans.
荷蘭研究人員一直在試圖模擬月球和火星的土壤條件，進行農作物栽培實驗。荷蘭瓦赫寧根大學與研究中心的科學家們擔心，即便種出了農作物，其重金屬含量也可能會過高，從而對人類產生有害影響。But experiments growing tomatoes, peas, radishes and rye proved that the crops were not only safe, but possibly healthier than those grown in Earth soil.
但事實證明，實驗中種出的西紅柿、豌豆、小蘿蔔和黑麥不僅安全，而且有可能比在地球土壤中種出的更健康。
"For radish, pea, rye and tomato we did a preliminary analysis and the results are very promising," says Dr Wieger Wamelink. "We can eat them."
韋格·瓦梅林克博士說："我們對小蘿蔔、豌豆、黑麥和西紅柿進行了初步分析，實驗的結果充滿了希望。我們可以食用它們。"Nasa has said that it wants to establish a Mars colony by the 2030s while the European Space Agency is hoping to return to the Moon even sooner. But if the plans are to be realised, astronauts will need to learn to grow their own food.
美國航空航天局表示，希望在本世紀30年代在火星建立殖民地。歐洲航天局則希望能更早重返月球。而實現這些計劃，宇航員得學會自己種農作物。The research showed that only radishes had high levels of aluminium, iron and nickel. They also grew significantly less well in lunar soil. However scientists think that the problem may just be on the outside and washing away the soil would be enough to bring levels down and make them safe for eating.
研究顯示，只有小蘿蔔的鋁、鐵和鎳含量過高。小蘿蔔在月球土壤中的生長狀況也更糟糕。不過，科學家們認爲，問題可能只出現在小蘿蔔的表面，洗掉外層的土可能就足以使重金屬含量降低，並可安全食用。It is still unknown if the take up of heavy metals is the same on Earth as it would be under the lower gravity conditions found on Mars and the Moon. Only research ‘on site’ or in will give an answer.
現在不知道的是，重金屬的佔比在火星和月球這些重力較低的環境中是否還和在地球上一樣。只有"實地"實驗才能得出結論。The researchers are now planning tests on green beans, rocket and spinach and potatoes and are due to carry out further testing on vitamins, flavonoids, and alkaloids in the crops.
研究人員現在打算對青豆、芝麻菜、菠菜和土豆進行實驗，並對作物中的維生素、類黃酮和生物鹼進行進一步的檢測。
