Living on the moon turned out to be much more dangerous than previously imagined.
Moon dust was previously thought to be toxic and cause an unusual illness in astronauts, but now researchers say it could cause and develop lung cancer.
The image below shows astronaut Harrison Schmitt from the Apollo 17 mission, December 1972. Schmitt works on the lunar surface and uses an adjustable scoop to collect rock and soil samples (paranormal-news.ru).
During the collection of samples, many particles of moon dust adhered to his spacesuit, which then fell into the module. After that, Schmitt developed a kind of hay fever, started sneezing frequently, and had a sore throat.
"Moon dust is just one of the many dangers that humans will have to contend with when the next mission goes to the moon, including if there is a permanent colony," the researchers said in a report presented at the American Geophysical Union meeting. in Washington this week.
Donald Hendrix of Stony Brook University and his team wrote this report after examining samples of lunar dust brought back by astronauts.
The researchers placed particles of moon dust in a liquid that mimics human sputum. Then they removed them and looked at how the lunar dust interacted with this liquid.
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They said they found olivine and augite, iron-based compounds containing minerals that quickly react with human cells and generate toxic hydroxyl radicals that have been linked to lung cancer.
15 minutes after being immersed in the liquid, the two rocks released about nine times more hydroxyl radicals per liter of liquid than highly toxic quartz. By the way, many scientists place quartz in the top ten minerals that are deadly to humans.
The effects of dust on human lungs could be a big concern for future lunar missions, the researchers said, as long-term inhalation of lunar dust could lead to airway and lung obstruction.
Dust can also damage the DNA of cells, which can cause mutations and also lead to cancer.