Minerals and trace elements in food - Revision history

RichardWSmith: Short discussion on the CHNOPS + Salt elements.

2022-10-04T23:15:10Z

Short discussion on the CHNOPS + Salt elements.

Michel Lamontagne at 18:33, 30 September 2022

2022-09-30T18:33:22Z

Michel Lamontagne at 21:18, 6 November 2020

2020-11-06T21:18:51Z

Michel Lamontagne at 21:14, 6 November 2020

2020-11-06T21:14:09Z

Michel Lamontagne at 18:08, 22 July 2019

2019-07-22T18:08:39Z

Michel Lamontagne at 18:01, 22 July 2019

2019-07-22T18:01:33Z

Michel Lamontagne at 17:07, 14 May 2019

2019-05-14T17:07:31Z

Michel Lamontagne at 17:07, 14 May 2019

2019-05-14T17:07:03Z

Michel Lamontagne at 16:45, 14 May 2019

2019-05-14T16:45:44Z

Jburk at 20:30, 17 December 2018

2018-12-17T20:30:36Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:15, 4 October 2022
Line 93:		Line 93:

	The elements N P and K are the most common [[Fertilizer\|fertilizers]] for plant production on Earth. They are usually provided as compounds than can be absorbed by plants, and then by animals and humans. [[Calcium]] as a fertilizer is usually delivered on its own.		The elements N P and K are the most common [[Fertilizer\|fertilizers]] for plant production on Earth. They are usually provided as compounds than can be absorbed by plants, and then by animals and humans. [[Calcium]] as a fertilizer is usually delivered on its own.
		+
		+	Note that the "CHNOPS" elements (Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Phosphorous, & Sulphur), plus table salt (Sodium Chloride) make up over 99.99% of animal tissue. Of these, the rarest one is phosphorous, so phosphorous deposits would be of great interest to a large and expanding society on Mars. If economic amounts of phosphorous are found on Mars, it might make a valuable export to any colonies in the asteroid belt.

	[[Category:Diet and Nutrition]]		[[Category:Diet and Nutrition]]

@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
 |65.0
 |45
-|Oxygen is the most common element on Mars.  Most of it in the human body is in the form of water (H2O)
+|Oxygen is the most common element on Mars.  Most of it in the human body is in the form of water (H2O) or in hydrocarbons
 |-
 |[[Carbon]]

@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 |'''Element'''
 |'''Symbol'''
-|'''% mass in body'''
+|'''% mass in'''
-|Notes
+'''human body'''
 |-
 |[[Oxygen]]
 |O
 |65.0
 |Oxygen is the most common element on Mars.  Most of it in the human body is in the form of water (H2O)
 |-
@@ Line 18: / Line 22: @@
 |C
 |18.5
 |Carbon is a part of CO<sub>2</sub> that comprises 95% of the Martian atmosphere.
 |-
@@ Line 23: / Line 28: @@
 |H
 |9.5
 |Hydrogen is mostly in water, and in carbohydrates
 |-
@@ Line 28: / Line 34: @@
 |N
 |3.2
 |Nitrogen will comes from the Martian atmosphere, but is present in fairly low concentration.
 It may be one of the limiting factors of settlement growth
@@ Line 34: / Line 41: @@
 |Ca
 |1.5
 |Calcium should be common in the Martian crust.
 |-
@@ Line 39: / Line 47: @@
 |P
 |1.0
 |Phosphorous salts should be common as well.
 |-
@@ Line 44: / Line 53: @@
 |K
 |0.4
 |Potassium is common in the Martian crust
 |-
@@ Line 49: / Line 59: @@
 |S
 |0.3
 |Sulfur is very common on Mars, more than on Earth
 |-
@@ Line 54: / Line 65: @@
 |Na
 |0.2
 |Sodium will be found with calcium
 |-
@@ Line 59: / Line 71: @@
 |Cl
 |0.2
 |Chlorine can be found in perchlorates and salts.  Perchlorates are so common on Mars they present a health problem
 |-
@@ Line 64: / Line 77: @@
 |Mg
 |0.2
 |Magnesium is a common mineral in the martian crust
 |-
@@ Line 69: / Line 83: @@
+|
 |< 1.0
+|
 |}
 All of the above elements can be found in abundance on Mars.  Some work will be required to incorporate some of the less common ones into food.
 For example, a future settlement might house 1000 people, massing about 70kg x 1000 = 70 000 kg, or 70 tonnes.  So the 'Others' part of the above table, that covers all trace elements required for humans, is about 700 kg for that population of 1000 people.  So, until the Mars settlement is entirely independent from Earth, a mass of a few hundred kg per year will be enough to cover the people's needs in trace elements.  And a few tonnes might be enough for an entire settlement ecosystem.

@@ Line 59: / Line 59: @@
 |Cl
 |0.2
-|Chlorine can be found in perchlorates and salts.  Perchlorates are so common on Mars they present a health problem,
+|Chlorine can be found in perchlorates and salts.  Perchlorates are so common on Mars they present a health problem
 |-
 |[[Magnesium]]
@@ Line 71: / Line 71: @@
+|
 |}
-All of the above elements can be found in abundance on Mars.  Some work will be required to incorporate some of the less common one into food.
+All of the above elements can be found in abundance on Mars.  Some work will be required to incorporate some of the less common ones into food.
 For example, a future settlement might house 1000 people, massing about 70kg x 1000 = 70 000 kg, or 70 tonnes.  So the 'Others' part of the above table, that covers all trace elements required for humans, is about 700 kg for that population of 1000 people.  So, until the Mars settlement is entirely independent from Earth, a mass of a few hundred kg per year will be enough to cover the people's needs in trace elements.  And a few tonnes might be enough for an entire settlement ecosystem.
-The elements N P and K are the most common [[Fertilizer|fertilizers]] for plant production on Earth.  [[Calcium]] as a fertilizer is usually delivered on its own.
+The elements N P and K are the most common [[Fertilizer|fertilizers]] for plant production on Earth.  They are usually provided as compounds than can be absorbed by plants, and then by animals and humans.  [[Calcium]] as a fertilizer is usually delivered on its own.
 [[Category:Diet and Nutrition]]

@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 |'''Element'''
 |'''Symbol'''
-|'''% in body'''
+|'''% mass in body'''
 |Notes
 |-
-|Oxygen
+|[[Oxygen]]
 |O
 |65.0
-|Oxygen is the most common element on Mars.  Most of it in the human body is in the form of water
+|Oxygen is the most common element on Mars.  Most of it in the human body is in the form of water (H2O)
 |-
-|Carbon
+|[[Carbon]]
 |C
 |18.5
 |Carbon is a part of CO<sub>2</sub> that comprises 95% of the Martian atmosphere.
 |-
-|Hydrogen
+|[[Hydrogen]]
 |H
 |9.5
 |Hydrogen is mostly in water, and in carbohydrates
 |-
-|Nitrogen
+|[[Nitrogen]]
 |N
 |3.2
@@ Line 31: / Line 31: @@
 It may be one of the limiting factors of settlement growth
 |-
-|Calcium
+|[[Calcium]]
 |Ca
 |1.5
 |Calcium should be common in the Martian crust.
 |-
-|Phosphorus
+|[[Phosphorus]]
 |P
 |1.0
 |Phosphorous salts should be common as well.
 |-
-|Potassium
+|[[Potassium]]
 |K
 |0.4
 |Potassium is common in the Martian crust
 |-
-|Sulfur
+|[[Sulfur]]
 |S
 |0.3
 |Sulfur is very common on Mars, more than on Earth
 |-
-|Sodium
+|[[Sodium]]
 |Na
 |0.2
 |Sodium will be found with calcium
 |-
-|Chlorine
+|[[Chlorine]]
 |Cl
 |0.2
 |Chlorine can be found in perchlorates and salts.  Perchlorates are so common on Mars they present a health problem,
 |-
-|Magnesium
+|[[Magnesium]]
 |Mg
 |0.2
 |Magnesium is a common mineral in the martian crust
 |-
-|Others
+|[[Trace elements|Others]]
+|
 |< 1.0
@@ Line 74: / Line 74: @@
 For example, a future settlement might house 1000 people, massing about 70kg x 1000 = 70 000 kg, or 70 tonnes.  So the 'Others' part of the above table, that covers all trace elements required for humans, is about 700 kg for that population of 1000 people.  So, until the Mars settlement is entirely independent from Earth, a mass of a few hundred kg per year will be enough to cover the people's needs in trace elements.  And a few tonnes might be enough for an entire settlement ecosystem.
 [[Category:Diet and Nutrition]]

@@ Line 49: / Line 49: @@
 |S
 |0.3
-|Sulfur is very common on Mars, ore than on Earth
+|Sulfur is very common on Mars, more than on Earth
 |-
 |Sodium

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 Investigations by the probe [[Phoenix]] have shown the existence of valuable [[minerals]] in the Martian [[regolith]].
 [[Category:Diet and Nutrition]]
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