Health effects of atmospheric contamination

Abstract

Safe air for breathing is the most immediate resource required by spaceflight crews. Clearly, gross parameters of the breathing atmosphere, such as temperature, pressure, O2 tension, and water vapor content, must be maintained within physiologically acceptable ranges. Even if these properties are well controlled, exposure to the trace contaminants and particles in the atmosphere confers a significant health risk. This chapter describes strategies for minimizing toxicologic risks to crew health, outlines how toxic exposures can be recognized in the crew and the space environment, and describes how crews and their environment can be restored to healthy conditions after accidental exposure to a toxic compound. © 2008 Springer-Verlag New York.