Breathing Moon Dust Could Cause Cancer Tips Study

The samples of moon dust and rocks on the Earth now mostly came from NASA's Apollo missions in the '60s and '70s. At the time the humans were on the moon, it was known that lunar dust was hard on spacesuits, rovers, and humans. More research on moon dust has proven that it is worse for humans than previously thought.

Scientists from Stony Brook University in New York have studied lunar dust samples and found that the samples could cause cancer in humans. The material reacts with human cells to create hydroxyl radicals that are reactive particles linked to lung cancers in the past. The discovery makes the lunar dust a significant health hazard for future manned missions.

Another study found that lunar dust could cause damage to the DNA inside human cells, eventually leading to cancer. The study exposed mouse brain cells and human lung cells to simulated lunar soil. The team found that 90% of the human lung cells and mouse neurons died after exposure.

This discovery won't stop humans from returning to the moon eventually. It will mean more safety precautions need to be taken to prevent cancers in astronauts venturing to the moon for research. It will be many years before any humans step foot on the moon again.

China has a probe heading to the moon's surface that will be the first to study the moon's far side. The only lunar soil sample in private hands sold at auction recently, and they were brought to Earth via Russian moon missions.