(ORDO NEWS) — After examining samples of lunar dust, once mined by astronauts, scientists came to the conclusion that the minerals contained in it are extremely toxic and can provoke cancer in humans.
Dreams of a colony on the moon, where people walk on dusty surfaces and live inside huge domes, will most likely not become a reality in the next ten or even twenty years.
Yes, sooner or later people will be able to reach the point when it will be possible to create comfortable conditions for life on the Moon. There are many complicating circumstances, and recently scientists have found out one more thing – it turns out that lunar dust is incredibly toxic to humans.
Thanks to the Apollo missions, scientists on Earth have obtained samples of the dust that covers the moon. As it turns out, this whitish powder is full of compounds that react with human cells: minerals promote the formation of hydroxyl radicals, which, in turn, contribute to the development of lung cancer.
Scientists exposed tissues first to rodents, and then to humans, to an analogue of lunar dust. The cells did not like it very much – about 90% died as a result.
In itself, this is a rather big problem: if in outer space a sealed spacesuit protects from dust, then in the future, when exits become massive, small particles will inevitably penetrate into an artificially created environment.
Given the fact that fine, ubiquitous dust caused a lot of problems for astronauts, ordinary people may be at risk. Engineers promise that in the coming years they will actively work to protect humanity from this threat.
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