NASA-гийн Perseverance хөлөг Ангараг гараг дээр хүний үснээс 700 дахин нарийн тоосонцор илрүүлсэн нь ирээдүйн сансрын нисгэгчдэд аюул учруулж болзошгүйг эрдэмтэд анхааруулж байна.
NASA-гийн Perseverance хөлөг Ангараг гарагийн Езеро тогоонд судалгаа хийх явцдаа 100-200 нанометрийн хэмжээтэй маш жижиг тоосонцор илрүүлжээ. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences сэтгүүлд нийтлэгдсэн судалгаагаар, эдгээр хэт нарийн ширхэгтэй тоосонцор нь сансрын нисгэгчдийн баг болон амьсгалах агаарт нэвтэрч, уушгины гүнд хүрч, улмаар цусны эргэлтийн системд орох эрсдэлтэй гэж үзэж байна. Судлаачид PIXL багажийн тусламжтайгаар хөлгийн тохируулгын бай болон сансрын хувцасны материалууд дээр хуримтлагдсан тоосонцорыг шинжилж, тэдгээрийн хэмжээ, химийн найрлага, гадаргуу дээр наалдах чадварыг тодорхойлжээ.
Шинжилгээгээр шилэн гадаргуу дээрх тоосонцор дунджаар 140 нанометр, тефлон дээрх нь 300 нанометр, харин Vectran даавуун дээр 2 микрометр орчим байсан нь тогтоогдсон байна. Ангараг гарагийн уур амьсгалд 1,645 өдөр өртсөн эдгээр материалд харагдахуйц гэмтэл бага илэрсэн нь саран дээрх тоосонцор сансрын нисгэгчдийн тоног төхөөрөмжийг маажиж, харшил үүсгэдэг байсантай харьцуулахад нааштай үзүүлэлт юм. Гэсэн хэдий ч Ангарагийн тоосонцор нь төмөр, цахиур болон бамбай булчирхайн үйл ажиллагаанд сөргөөр нөлөөлөх боломжтой перхлорат зэрэг хортой химийн нэгдлүүдийг агуулдаг байна.
Вашингтоны их сургуулийн судлаач Скотт ВанБоммелийн тайлбарласнаар, тоосонцрын хоруу чанар нь тухайн бодисын хэмжээ болон өртөх хугацаанаас хамаардаг ажээ. Одоогоор эдгээр хэт нарийн тоосонцор хүний биед яг ямар нөлөө үзүүлэх нь тодорхойгүй байгаа бөгөөд эрдэмтэд энэ талаарх судалгаагаа үргэлжлүүлж байна. NASA-гийн зүгээс сансрын нисгэгчдийг хамгаалах зорилгоор амьдрах орчны агаар шүүх систем, тусгай агаар нэвтрүүлдэггүй хаалга болон сансрын хувцсыг шууд холбох технологийг боловсруулахаар судалж байна.
Дэлгэрэнгүйг эх сурвалжаас харах
↓Эх сурвалжийг нээх ↓
NASA’s Perseverance rover has found dust particles on Mars as small as 100 to 200 nanometers. That’s hundreds of times thinner than a human hair, and potentially bad news for future astronauts. If these tiny particles get inside a Martian habitat, they could reach deep into the lungs and possibly enter the bloodstream.
Dust is already a headache on Mars. It sticks to equipment, covers exposed surfaces, and gets into places where it doesn’t belong. Keeping it away from sensitive instruments is one thing. Keeping it out of the air astronauts breathe is another.
A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences takes a closer look at this problem. Researchers used data from Perseverance to study dust that had collected on spacesuit materials and calibration targets, uncovering details about its size, chemistry, and stubborn ability to stick to surfaces.
Perseverance Finds Dust Particles Smaller Than Expected
Perseverance landed in Jezero Crater in 2021 to study Martian rocks and search for signs of ancient life. But its PIXL instrument, which uses X-rays to analyze rocks, also helped scientists examine dust collected on calibration targets and experimental spacesuit fabrics. Scott VanBommel of Washington University in St. Louis and his team saw an opportunity to study these particles. “This is bonus science,” he told Chemical & Engineering News.
By comparing measurements taken before launch with those collected on Mars, researchers found that dust on a glass target averaged just 140 nanometers, while particles on Teflon averaged 300 nanometers. Vectran fabric trapped larger grains, averaging around 2 micrometers. The results show just how tiny some Martian dust particles can be.
Martian Dust Has an Upside
The study also revealed that not all spacesuit materials collect dust in the same way. Vectran, a strong synthetic fiber used in aerospace equipment, trapped relatively large amounts of dust between its woven threads. Teflon collected less dust overall, but the particles sticking to it were much smaller. Static electricity and the texture of the fabrics appear to help the particles stay attached, even after years of movement across Mars.
Still, the experiment brought some reassuring news. After 1,645 Martian days, the exposed materials showed little visible damage. That’s quite different from what Apollo astronauts experienced on the Moon. Lunar dust was sharp enough to scratch helmet visors, damage equipment, and even trigger hay fever-like symptoms.
Martian dust tends to be smoother because winds have gradually worn down its rough edges over billions of years. However, dust doesn’t need to be sharp to cause trouble, especially when its particles are small enough to be inhaled.
What If Astronauts Breathe in Mars Dust?
The tiniest Martian dust particles could be particularly troublesome inside a pressurized habitat. Once inhaled, ultrafine particles can travel deep into the lungs, where the body’s natural defenses have difficulty removing them. Some could potentially pass into the bloodstream and reach other organs. And size isn’t the only issue. Martian dust contains iron and silica, along with potentially harmful chemicals such as perchlorates, which can interfere with thyroid function. The new research also found unusually high concentrations of phosphorus in the fine dust.
Scientists don’t yet know exactly how dangerous these particles would be to humans.
“Like any substance, toxicity depends on dose and duration. Martian dust contains silica, iron compounds and chlorine compounds such as perchlorate, which are known to be harmful at high enough doses on Earth,” VanBommel told Reuters.
NASA has set limits for dust exposure inside future habitats, but some of those guidelines are based on lunar dust studies rather than actual Martian samples. Engineers are exploring ways to keep the particles outside, including spacesuits that dock directly to habitats, double airlocks, and filtration systems designed to catch dust smaller than a micrometer.
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