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Artificial Space Weathering to Mimic Solar Wind Enhances the Toxicity of Lunar Dust Simulants in Human Lung Cells
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  • Jamie Hsing-Ming Chang,
  • Zhouyiyuan Xue,
  • Jack Bauer,
  • Barbara Wehle,
  • Donald A Hendrix,
  • Tristan Catalano,
  • Joel A. Hurowitz,
  • Hanna Nekvasil,
  • Bruce Demple
Jamie Hsing-Ming Chang
Stony Brook Medicine
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Zhouyiyuan Xue
Stony Brook Medicine
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Jack Bauer
Stony Brook Medicine
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Barbara Wehle
Stony Brook Medicine
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Donald A Hendrix
National High Magnetic Field Laboratory
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Tristan Catalano
Stony Brook University
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Joel A. Hurowitz
Stony Brook University
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Hanna Nekvasil
Stony Brook University
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Bruce Demple
Stony Brook Medicine

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Abstract

During NASA’s Apollo missions, inhalation of dust particles from lunar regolith was identified as a potential occupational hazard for astronauts. These fine particles adhered tightly to spacesuits and were brought accidentally into the living areas of the spacecraft. Apollo astronauts reported that exposure to the dust caused intense respiratory and ocular irritation. This problem is a potential challenge for the Artemis Program, which aims to return humans to the Moon for extended stays in this decade. Since lunar dust is “weathered” by space radiation, solar wind, and the incessant bombardment of micrometeorites, we investigated whether treatment of lunar regolith simulants to mimic space weathering enhanced their toxicity. Two such simulants were employed in this research, Lunar Mare Simulant-1 (LMS-1), and Lunar Highlands Simulant-1 (LHS-1), which were applied to human lung epithelial cells (A549). In addition to pulverization, previously shown to increase dust toxicity sharply, the simulants were exposed to hydrogen gas at high temperature as a proxy for solar wind exposure. This treatment further increased the toxicity of both simulants, as measured by the disruption of mitochondrial function, and damage to DNA both in mitochondria and in the nucleus. By testing the effects of supplementing the cells with an antioxidant (N-acetylcysteine), we showed that a substantial component of this toxicity arises from free radicals. It remains to be determined to what extent the radicals arise from the dust itself, as opposed to their active generation by inflammatory processes in the treated cells.
26 Apr 2023Submitted to ESS Open Archive
29 Apr 2023Published in ESS Open Archive