Toxicity of lunar dust

Linnarsson, Dag; Carpenter, James; Fubini, Bice; Gerde, Per; Karlsson, Lars L.; Loftus, D. J.; Prisk, G. Kim; Staufer, U.; Tranfield, Erin M.; Westrenen, W. van

doi:10.1016/j.pss.2012.05.023

Cited by 73 publications

(62 citation statements)

References 139 publications

(162 reference statements)

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“…Some mineral dusts are known to be toxic and lunar dust in particular is thought to possess some properties similar to crystalline quartz. Furthermore, these dusts are thought to have highly reactive surfaces due to the absence of an atmosphere to permit oxidation [70]. So, while fully oxidised samples have been shown to have only modest toxicity [71,72], the same may not necessarily be true for particles brought into a habitat directly from the lunar surface.…”

Section: Aerosol Transportmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microgravity and the respiratory system

Prisk

2014

European Respiratory Journal

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The structure of the lung, with its delicate network of airspaces and capillaries, means that gravity has a profound influence on its function. Studies of lung function in the absence of gravity provide valuable insight into how, for we Earth-bound individuals, its unavoidable effects shape our lung function. Gravity causes uneven ventilation in the lung through the deformation of lung tissue (the so-called Slinky effect), and uneven perfusion through a combination of the Slinky effect and the zone model of pulmonary perfusion. Both ventilation and perfusion exhibit persisting heterogeneity in microgravity, indicating important other mechanisms. However, gravity serves to maintain a degree of matching of these two processes, so that the ventilation/perfusion ratio, and thus gas exchange, remains efficient. Therefore, while both ventilation and perfusion are more uniform in spaceflight, gas exchange is seemingly no more efficient than on Earth. Despite the changes in lung function when gravity is removed, the lung continues to function well in weightlessness. Unlike many other organ systems, the lung does not appear to undergo structural adaptive changes when gravity is removed, and so there is no apparent degradation in lung function upon return to earth, even after 6 months in space. @ERSpublicationsThe structure of the lung means that gravity has a profound influence on its function

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Section: Aerosol Transportmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microgravity and the respiratory system

Prisk

2014

European Respiratory Journal

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“…Unique features of actual LD, resulting from its formation by (micro)meteoroid impacts and its extended radiation exposure in the absence of oxygen and humidity, could lead to toxic effects significantly exceeding those of simulants made from Earth materials (Fubini and Fenoglio, 2007). Lunar samples acquired in situ exist in a pristine state that preserves the surface reactive chemical aspects thought to be present on the lunar surface (Linnarsson et al, 2012). Also, the region-to-region variability of LD argues that a full understanding of its chemical reactivity will require in situ analysis, on a region-to-region basis, to provide insight into the types of reactions that may occur when LD interacts with organic molecules on the surface of the Moon (Loftus et al, 2010).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…During several Apollo missions, irritation of the eyes, the respiratory system, and skin was a result of direct contact of LD with the human body. The formation, composition, and physical properties of LD (as well as martian dust, MD) have not been fully characterized with regard to human health (Linnarsson et al, 2012), although the harmful effects of LD on directly (primary) exposed tissues, that is, tissues that are subjected to direct contact with LD, have been documented in the literature (Lam et al, 2002a(Lam et al, , 2002bRehders et al, 2011). The effects of LD or MD and other nano-and microsized particles on indirectly (secondary) exposed tissues, that is, extrapulmonary organs and tissues that are not subjected to direct interaction with these particles, are now coming under scrutiny (Oberdö rster et al, 2004;Bourdon et al, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neurotoxic Potential of Lunar and Martian Dust: Influence on Em, Proton Gradient, Active Transport, and Binding of Glutamate in Rat Brain Nerve Terminals

Krisanova

Kasatkina²,

Sivko³

et al. 2013

Astrobiology

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The harmful effects of lunar dust (LD) on directly exposed tissues are documented in the literature, whereas researchers are only recently beginning to consider its effects on indirectly exposed tissues. During inhalation, nano-/microsized particles are efficiently deposited in nasal, tracheobronchial, and alveolar regions and transported to the central nervous system. The neurotoxic potential of LD and martian dust (MD) has not yet been assessed. Glutamate is the main excitatory neurotransmitter involved in most aspects of normal brain function, whereas disturbances in glutamate homeostasis contribute to the pathogenesis of major neurological disorders. The research was focused on the analysis of the effects of LD/MD simulants (JSC-1a/JSC, derived from volcanic ash) on the key characteristics of glutamatergic neurotransmission. The average size of LD and MD particles (even minor fractions) before and after sonication was determined by dynamic light scattering. With the use of radiolabeled l-[(14)C]glutamate, it was shown that there is an increase in l-[(14)C]glutamate binding to isolated rat brain nerve terminals (synaptosomes) in low [Na(+)] media and at low temperature in the presence of LD. MD caused significantly lesser changes under the same conditions, whereas nanoparticles of magnetite had no effect at all. Fluorimetric experiments with potential-sensitive dye rhodamine 6G and pH-sensitive dye acridine orange showed that the potential of the plasma membrane of the nerve terminals and acidification of synaptic vesicles were not altered by LD/MD (and nanoparticles of magnetite). Thus, the unique effect of LD to increase glutamate binding to the nerve terminals was shown. This can have deleterious effects on extracellular glutamate homeostasis in the central nervous system and cause alterations in the ambient level of glutamate, which is extremely important for proper synaptic transmission. During a long-term mission, a combination of constant irritation due to dust particles, inflammation, stress, low gravity and microgravity, radiation, UV, and so on may consequently change the effects of the dust and aggravate neurological consequences.

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“…The rate of these clearance mechanisms differs by several orders of magnitude, with mucociliary clearance being very much the faster process (half-life of hours/day versus months/years). (37,38) Although the effect of lG on mucociliary clearance and alveolar macrophage phagocytosis is unknown, (39) it is likely that, even in lG, mucociliary clearance is a faster mechanism than phagocytosis by alveolar macrophages. Therefore, if particles were to be mainly deposited centrally in the absence of gravity, their residence time in the lungs would be reduced.…”

Section: Retention Of Deposited Particles In Reduced Gravitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Aerosol Deposition in the Human Lung in Reduced Gravity

Darquenne

2014

Journal of Aerosol Medicine and Pulmonary Drug Delivery

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The deposition of aerosol in the human lung occurs mainly through a combination of inertial impaction, gravitational sedimentation, and diffusion. For 0.5-to 5-lm-diameter particles and resting breathing conditions, the primary mechanism of deposition in the intrathoracic airways is sedimentation, and therefore the fate of these particles is markedly affected by gravity. Studies of aerosol deposition in altered gravity have mostly been performed in humans during parabolic flights in both microgravity (lG) and hypergravity (*1.6G), where both total deposition during continuous aerosol mouth breathing and regional deposition using aerosol bolus inhalations were performed with 0.5-to 3-lm particles. Although total deposition increased with increasing gravity level, only peripheral deposition as measured by aerosol bolus inhalations was strongly dependent on gravity, with central deposition (lung depth < 200 mL) being similar between gravity levels. More recently, the spatial distribution of coarse particles (mass median aerodynamic diameter & 5 lm) deposited in the human lung was assessed using planar gamma scintigraphy. The absence of gravity caused a smaller portion of 5-lm particles to deposit in the lung periphery than in the central region, where deposition occurred mainly in the airways. Indeed, 5-lm-diameter particles deposit either by inertial impaction, a mechanism most efficient in the large and medium-sized airways, or by gravitational sedimentation, which is most efficient in the distal lung. On the contrary, for fine particles (*1 lm), both aerosol bolus inhalations and studies in small animals suggest that particles deposit more peripherally in lG than in 1G, beyond the reach of the mucociliary clearance system.

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Toxicity of lunar dust

Cited by 73 publications

References 139 publications

Microgravity and the respiratory system

Microgravity and the respiratory system

Neurotoxic Potential of Lunar and Martian Dust: Influence on Em, Proton Gradient, Active Transport, and Binding of Glutamate in Rat Brain Nerve Terminals

Aerosol Deposition in the Human Lung in Reduced Gravity

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