US scientists plans to survive a record 100 days underwater
What is one of human’s biggest nightmares? Being trapped! Maybe in a room, in a flat, in a box, in a car; the very thought of being in captivity itself is haunting. Now imagine living in a small box underwater, that too for a period of 100 days? It is unimaginable to say the least.
Turns out this is exactly what Joe Dituri is planning to do. A former US Navy diver and an expert in the field of biomedical engineering based at University of South Florida, he has already been living underwater in a 592 square feet box below the surface of Florida Keys (in Jules’ Undersea Lodge) since 1st March. And guess what? Now he plans to prolong his stay up to 100 days. Suppose he manages to achieve this feat; it will be a record for the maximum amount of time spent in a habitat under the ocean surface for any human being.
Okay, but why is Dituri planning to do this? Well because he wants to experiment the effects of hyperbaric pressure on human body. Wondering what that is? It refers to the air pressure which is greater than normal, something which many know happens at the sea level. What he wants to understand from this study is that how living in such a high-pressure environment can affect his overall health.
But wait, isn’t that same as living in a submarine? Well, far from it. Turns out, submarines are sealed when submerged and the pressure inside is normally maintained. However, Dituri’s underwater living space will not be sealed as such. In fact, it will be more like a glass of water turned upside down and then pushed into a sink full of water. The twist? Dituri will be inside the glass the whole time.
Okay, but how does he plan to live? Well, there will be a constant supply of a pocket full of air, while a pool of water keeps entering from outside the ocean. Simply put, this means that the air inside his home underwater will be squeezed by the mass of the ocean, thus enhancing the air pressure around him. So, when he will be suspended 30 feet below the water, the pressure will be more than double than it is on land.
Okay, so what exactly may happen? The hyperbaric pressure can be highly detrimental to his health. Why? Because, as the air pressure increases, apart from oxygen and carbon dioxide, another air will come into action, aka, nitrogen. And if this nitrogen reaches the lungs and blood of Dituri then he can experience euphoria to intoxication and even narcosis. Why will this happen? Because, due to environmental changes, the brain will signal differently. What else? Well, being away from sunlight for long can make Dituri’s internal clock upside down; meaning it will affect his sleep cycle in turn circadian rhythm. He will also have Vitamin D deficiency that might affect his skin, bone density, muscle function and immunity. In fact, research shows that immune system is reduced after a 14 day stay underwater; not to say what will happen after 100 days stay. Experts believe he has to make up for it having foods and supplements high on Vitamin D. Moreover, he will also incur bone and muscle mass losses due to lack of movement besides swimming. To counter that, he will need to try out squats and lunges.
Despite all the precautions, now, it remains to be seen how Dituri is impacted by hyperbaric pressure on the long term. But the good news is, it can also counter age-related disorders and improve his lifespan, as proven by earlier studies. In conclusion, we can say that Dituri’s experiment will help understand the pros and cons of living underwater in high-pressure situations for human beings.
Interestingly, at present, the world record for the longest time spend underwater is 73 days. It was set in 2014 by two American academics, who also stayed at the same place.