Characterization of Lunar Dust for Toxicological Studies. I: Particle Size Distribution

Abstract

The particle size distribution (PSD) of lunar dust, the <20μm portion of the regolith, was determined as an initial step in the study of the possible toxicological effects it may have on the human respiratory and pulmonary systems. Utilizing scanning electron microscopy, PSDs were determined for Apollo 11 (10084) and 17 (70051) dust samples, as well as lunar dust simulant JSC-1Avf. The novel methodology employed is described in detail. All measured PSDs feature a log-normal distribution having a single mode in a range 100–300nm for lunar dust samples, but the lunar simulant has a mode at ∼600nm.