As the nightmares wear off, being trapped in a small box deep underwater is probably high on a lot of people’s wish list. But one of the American professors does it on purpose.
Joe Dettori, a former US Navy diver and expert in biomedical engineering, has been living in a 55-square-meter (592-square-foot) facility 30 feet below the surface of the Florida Keys since March 1 and plans to stay there for 100 days.
If he does, he will break the record for the longest time spent in a habitat below the surface of the ocean.
Dettori investigates the effect of high pressure, when the air pressure is higher than sea level, on the human body. He hopes to use his time underwater to study the impact of living in this high-stress environment on his health.
Interestingly, Dettori’s efforts would be very different from life on a submarine. Submarines are pressurized when submerged and maintained at sea level pressure. This means that there is not much difference in pressure even when the submarine is hundreds of meters below.
But in Dettori’s underwater habitat, there were no rigid vents or airlocks between the ocean and dry living space, as there were on a submarine. Think of it like a glass of water being turned upside down and pushed into a basin full of water.
There will still be an air pocket at the top of Dettori’s living space, and on the floor of one of the rooms there will be a puddle of water coming from the ocean outside.
This means that the air inside its habitat is compressed by the weight of the ocean, which increases the air pressure around it. At a depth of 30 feet, the air pressure inside this habitat is twice that of Earth.
A small number of studies have examined the effects of prolonged exposure to severe stress on the body.
As every experienced diver knows, high pressure can be a real threat to us. Our bodies have been adapted by generations of evolution to conditions at sea level, where the two main gases involved in respiration (oxygen and carbon dioxide) are the only ones that pass freely between our lungs and blood.
But as pressure increases, the nitrogen in the air is forced through the thin walls of our lungs and into our bloodstream. This can cause a number of side effects. At depths of 10 to 30 meters (33 to 98 feet), it can induce mild euphoria and a positive mood. At a depth of about 30 meters below sea level and above, this can lead to behavior similar to the action of toxins – hence the name “anesthesia”.
Scientists don’t fully understand why this happens, but it could be due to changes in how neurotransmitters transmit signals between neurons in our brains. Fortunately, this will not pose a threat to Dettori, as the depth is only ten meters.
But Dettori can expect other physical changes while in his underwater habitat.
Even though the dwelling has large windows, Dettori would still only be exposed to half the sunlight on Earth. This can cause problems with his circadian rhythm – the internal “clock” that controls many of the body’s functions, including the sleep-wake cycle that depends on daylight. This could mean interrupted sleep. Another challenge for Dettori is getting enough vitamin D. The skin must be exposed to ultraviolet light in order to produce this vitamin, and this usually comes from the sun. It is possible that Dettori did not get enough vitamin D while living in his underwater environment.
Vitamin D plays a key role in maintaining bone density, muscle function and immunity. Studies on people who lived in a NASA-managed underwater habitat as a spaceflight analog showed that they had reduced immune function after only 14 days.
Dettori will need to get vitamin D from other sources, such as vitamin D-rich foods or supplements, or from UV exposure, to minimize the decline in his immune function.
Although Dettori will live alone, astronauts living in similar conditions report serious injuries. These are viruses that many of us carry and are usually controlled by our immune system. It can also cause Dettori to become ill if his immune function is reduced.
Other than minimal walks in a very small habitat, the only exercise Dettori gets is swimming. Since swimming does not require weight bearing, bone and muscle loss is likely, which may be similar to what astronauts see during long flights on the International Space Station (but not to the same extent).
Adding some resistance exercises like squats and lunges can help dettori compensate for the loss of muscle and bone mass.
Long term effects
While Dettori’s underwater habitat will be different from the underwater one, the amount of time spent there will not be entirely different from what many submarine crews have to endure.
We know from research on submarines that even a few months of being underwater can have long-term consequences, despite measures taken to prevent it.
For example, even after two months at sea, divers still had disturbed sleep patterns and problems with the levels of certain sleep-related hormones. The crew also showed loss of bone and muscle mass. This confirms how important it is for Dettori to get enough vitamin D and exercise.
Of course, the bigger question remains: what impact will long-term high pressure have on Dettori? Studies of high pressure exposure only dealt with short-term exposure, which could have a positive effect on wound healing.
This would be a difficult physiological and possibly psychological feat, so even though Dettori is only one person, the data from his experience will still be useful in the field.
The report was prepared by Bradley Elliott, Senior Lecturer in Physiology at the University of Westminster.
Source: Science Alert
The post Unprecedented Experiment: American Scientist Spends 100 Days Living Underwater! appeared first on Asume Tech.
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