Addressing the Myths: Human Health Risk Assessment Context for Lunar Dust

Lunar dust poses legitimate challenges for NASA's return to the moon under Artemis, with human health concerns being among the technical gaps that must be overcome if we are to achieve mission success. Part of that challenge includes accurate risk communication, which is key to informed spaceflight operations. This is complicated by a number of myths that surround lunar dust health risks; false assumptions, half-truths, and generalizations that affect risk perceptions by the stakeholder community. Are silicosis and lung cancer legitimate concerns with future Artemis exposures? Is NASA basing its lunar dust exposure standard on very limited findings from Apollo? The NASA Human Health & Performance (HHP) Directorate has the responsibility for addressing these sorts of questions in accurately representing crew health risks associated with lunar dust exposure under Artemis. As part of that mission, this paper evaluates several of these myths, while sharing supporting risk assessment insights and technical findings that will hopefully provide a more balanced perspective on the lunar dust challenges we collectively face.