Concentrations of potentially harmful chemical compounds in dust collected from air filtration systems on the International Space Station (ISS) exceed those found in floor dust from many American homes, a new study reveals.
In the first study of its kind, scientists analysed a sample of dust from air filters within the ISS and found levels of organic contaminants which were higher than the median values found in US and Western European homes.
Publishing their results today (8 Aug - US) in Environmental Science and Technology Letters, researchers from the University of Birmingham, UK, as well as the NASA Glenn Research Center, USA, say their findings could guide the design and construction of future spacecraft.
Read more at University of Birmingham
Photo: Astronaut Stephen Bowen works with the BioFabrication Facility aboard the ISS. Credit: NASA