A group of elementary school students in Canada recently criticized NASA scientists after discovering that the life-saving EpiPen could become toxic when exposed to space conditions.
Students from the St. Brother André School in Ottawa, Canada, who are part of the Gifted Student Program (PGL), are investigating the effects of cosmic radiation on epinephrine, the active ingredient found in EpiPens, which are emergency treatments for severe allergic reactions.
EpiPen, the pen containing epinephrine for emergency treatment in space
NASA selected the students’ experiment as part of the Cubes in Space program, a global STEM initiative aimed at school-aged children.
For this program, students aged 9 to 12 designed an experiment where samples of epinephrine were placed in a pen-like object and sent to the edge of space via high-altitude balloons or rockets. Upon returning to Earth,
researchers from the Mass Spectrometry Facility at the University of Ottawa examined the samples and found that only 87% contained pure epinephrine, while the remaining 13% had been converted into highly toxic benzoic acid derivatives, according to a statement from the University of Ottawa.
Cosmic radiation consists of high-energy particles released by stars, including our own Sun. According to NASA, the Earth’s atmosphere largely protects life on Earth from this radiation, but astronauts exposed to cosmic rays for extended periods face significant health risks, including radiation sickness and an increased likelihood of developing cancer and other diseases throughout their lives.
Cosmic radiation also has a clear impact on chemicals like epinephrine, said Paul Mayer, a professor in the Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Ottawa.
He added: “The samples showed signs that epinephrine had reacted and degraded. In fact, no epinephrine was found in the EpiPen solution samples. This result raises questions about the effectiveness of EpiPen in space applications, and these questions are now being addressed by students in the PGL program.”
While benzoic acid occurs naturally in some plants, including cranberries, plums, and cinnamon, and is commonly used as a food preservative, the U.S. National Institutes of Health classifies the colorless compound as a “health risk” when consumed in high doses.
This group of students is currently designing a rocket to protect EpiPens while in space. In June, they will travel to the Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, USA, to present their findings to NASA.
