Numerical investigations of the micro lunar dust particles deposition in the human oral respiratory airway

Understanding the deposition of lunar dust (LD) particles in the human respiratory system is of great significance for protecting astronauts' health from the toxicity of lunar dust. A Euler-Lagrangian approach is adopted to track the LD particle motion in a human oral airway model. The investigations are conducted considering different inspiration rates and micro-particle sizes as well as different abnormal pressures and abnormal temperatures. It is found that 1) almost all the LD particles tend to enter the right lung rather than the left lung, especially in the upper right lobe; 2) at lower ambient pressure, fewer LD particles will deposit in the upper airway, while more particles will enter the lung; 3) at lower temperature, more LD particles are deposited in the upper airway, while fewer are deposited in the lung. In summary, the present work has shown that the LD particles have different depositing properties in the upper airway and the lung lobe regions up to the particle size, inspiration flow rate, temperature and pressure. It should pay more attentions on the upper airway and right upper lobe when it studies the toxicity of the lunar dust, and can't ignore the impact of the environmental temperature and pressure.

Automated summary

Understanding how lunar dust particles deposit in the human respiratory system is crucial for protecting astronauts from lunar dust toxicity. A Euler-Lagrangian method is used to track the motion of lunar dust particles in a human oral airway model. The study considers different factors such as inspiration rates, particle sizes, abnormal pressures, and temperatures. The findings show that most lunar dust particles tend to enter the right lung, especially the upper right lobe. Lower ambient pressure leads to fewer particles depositing in the upper airway and more entering the lung. Lower temperature results in more particles depositing in the upper airway and fewer in the lung.