--- title: "Breathing in Moon Dust Could be Even More Toxic Than We Thought" description: "## Uninviting Environment" date: "2018-12-15" modified: "2018-12-15" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/breathing-moon-dust-regolith-toxic-cancer" categories: - "Astronomy" - "Moon" - "Space" tags: - "lunar mission" - "moon" - "NASA" - "the digest" --- # Breathing in Moon Dust Could be Even More Toxic Than We Thought ![A new study from scientists at Stony Brook University found that moon dust particles could react with human cells — and potentially lead to cancer.]() *\Image: NASA\* ## Uninviting Environment Space agencies are [working hard]() to get humans back to the surface of the Moon. But it's not exactly the most inviting place. Astronauts during the Apollo 11 mission in 1969 may not have had any health incidents while they were gleefully bouncing around on the lunar surface, as a [NASA mission report]() from the time points out. But they knew that lunar dust wasn't their friend — it could [irritate their lungs](), cause their Moon buggies to overheat — it even started [degrading]() their spacesuits. ## Hydroxyl Radicals And now, scientists have collected even more evidence that Moon dust could be really terrible for us. By studying samples of dust — or regolith — from the lunar surface, scientists at Stony Brook University in New York [found]() that it could react with human cells to create so-called "hydroxyl radicals" — highly reactive particles that have have been linked to lung cancers in the past, *New Scientist* [reports](). "It’s a major health concern for future astronauts," Donald Hendrix, leader of the study at Stony Brook University, [tells]() *New Scientist*. ## Lunar Cancer And it gets worse. A different study has found that lunar dust could cause [damage to cells' DNA](), which could eventually lead to cancer. The study exposed mouse brain cells, and human lung cells to simulated lunar soil. The results were discouraging: [90 percent]() of human lung cells and mouse neurons died, according to *Universe Today*. The toxicity of lunar dust is going to be a big problem for any human planning on wandering around on the surface of the Moon in the future. "Dust is the number one concern in returning to the Moon," says Apollo astronaut John Young, as [quoted]() by New Scientist. But it likely won't hold us back completely. **READ MORE:** [Breathing in moon dust could release toxins in astronauts’ lungs]() \[New Scientist\] ***More on Moon dust: [Scientists Are 3D Printing Fake Moon Dust Into Useful Objects]()*** ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()