月面ダストの生体影響

概要

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We reviewed the effect of lunar dust (regolith) on humans from technological and biological point of views. In physicochemical properties of lunar dust, hazard-related factors are that silicon occupies about 50 % in composition, and that fibrous materials and nanoparticles are included. Animal exposure studies have been performed using a simulant of lunar dust, and it was speculated that the harmful effect of simulant lies between crystalline silica (positive control) and titanium dioxide (negative control). Fibrous materials may not have low solubility judging from the component. The nanoparticle in lunar dusts may have harmful potentials by the components. In microgravity, the deposition of particles with less than 1 μm in human lung did not decreased, but the deposition of particles with diameter of several μm decreased linearly with reducing the gravity. In microgravity the functions of macrophage including phagocytosis were suppressed. These data on the deposition of particles and the function of macrophage suggested that fine and ultrafine particles may be accumulated in the lung in microgravity. The researches on lunar dust and microgravity are preliminary and very much limited, therefore it is necessary to perform lots of researches in this field.
日本エアロゾル学会の論文