In a more serious vein, thanks for finding these Luke.
Concentrations of Thorium and Uranium from Granitic Rocks in NW Spain
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969705002032
Uranium concentrations in the rock varied between 5.3 and 27.7 mg kg-1 and Thorium concentrations from 5.5 to 50.7 mg kg-1
Concentrations of radioactive elements in lunar materials
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1029/97JE03267
...
Returning to my previous question :
When was the risk of dust inhalation quantified? i.e. was it before or after any of the Apollo missions? And please don't just copy and paste a wall of text as a reply...
Also, what is the calculated risk from brief periods of inhaling dust, as in the typical stay of an Apollo mission, as opposed to long-term colonisation?
Tim, you fobbed me off, suggesting I google the answers to these questions myself. I admit I haven't spent much time on it - at this time of year weekends are taken up more by boat maintenance than anything else - but I haven't found the information I wanted. Luke has provided some relevant information however.
Since you apparently do have information on the risks and likely doses from short-term dust inhalation, as opposed to the dangers of long-stay colonisation, perhaps you can indulge me and at least post the references to it? If dust inhalation over a few days is extremely dangerous, then what medical effects would you expect to see in Apollo astronauts if they were on the moon?
Does anyone ever read the articles? It clearly states :
The lunar geochemical component KREEP contains trace amounts of the radioactive elements Thorium and Uranium. Regolith dust formed from this rock is a serious health hazard.
The radiation given off is Alpha particles (helium nuclei) and they do not penetrate very effectively. The direct radiation is stopped by any pressure vessel wall and even a well designed layer of spacesuit material. The problem is that if the dust is ingested into the human body, the particles will lay directly on lung or intestine tissue and are carcinogenic. Ingestion of the dust must therefore be rigorously limited. How can it be more plainly stated. If you are looking for an amount in grams then I have no answer but consider this article: Apollo Chronicles: The Mysterious Smell of Moondust01.30.06
Long after the last Apollo astronaut left the moon, a mystery lingers: Why does moondust smell like gunpowder?
Moondust. "I wish I could send you some," says Apollo 17 astronaut Gene Cernan. Just a thimbleful scooped fresh off the lunar surface. "It's amazing stuff."
Feel it--it's soft like snow, yet strangely abrasive.
Taste it--"not half bad," according to Apollo 16 astronaut John Young.
Sniff it--"it smells like spent gunpowder," says Cernan.
How do you sniff moondust?
Apollo 17 astronaut Gene Cernan rests inside the lunar module Challenger. There are smudges of dust on his longjohns and forehead.
Every Apollo astronaut did it. They couldn't touch their noses to the lunar surface. But, after every moonwalk (or "EVA"), they would tramp the stuff back inside the lander. Moondust was incredibly clingy, sticking to boots, gloves and other exposed surfaces. No matter how hard they tried to brush their suits before re-entering the cabin, some dust (and sometimes a lot of dust) made its way inside.
Once their helmets and gloves were off, the astronauts could feel, smell and even taste the moon.
https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/home/30jan_smellofmoondust.html
Sorry, but that is
not an answer to the question, or a suitable reference to proper research. The "article" you quote from is a wiki page discussing the risks to people staying on the Moon for long periods, and doesn't discuss the risks to short-stay missions similar to Apollo.
I also asked for something other than a copy and paste response, but that seems to be your only method of debate. I wonder if you even read the information you so glibly post...
I will repeat the question, in case you missed it - please provide a reference to information (preferably peer-reviewed research) on the risks of exposure to, and inhalation of, lunar surface dust, including KREEP-type materials, over short, medium term and longer duration missions. It would also be useful, and relevant, to know the expected cancer rates for Apollo astronauts based on their documented exposure levels.
[ I'll also note that when I was doing my PhD research <redacted> years ago, my supervisor would have laughed me out of his office if I'd presented him with a couple of abstracts and a graph. Research meant finding, reading and understanding multiple papers on the topic (image analysis and feature partitioning), following references, implementing algorithms, reproducing results etc. etc. ]
