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At least 163 records · Page 9

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NASA NTRS1986

Analysis and composition of a model trace gaseous mixture for a spacecraft

Growing concern over trace gaseous contaminant accumulations in the enclosed atmospheres of long duration spacecraft missions has prompted the development of a trace contaminant data base on the basis of gas, lithium hydroxide, and charcoal samples collected on Space Shuttle missions. A model trace contaminant gas mixture containing 14 compounds was chosen with the aid of a FORTRAN program, on the strength of contaminant chemical and toxicological categories, frequency of occurrence, and worst-case concentration. The model gas mixture can be used to test trace contaminant control hardware for a manned spacecraft environment.

Schwartz, M. R.↗

NASA NTRS1985

A survey of chemical information systems

A survey of the features, functions, and characteristics of a fairly wide variety of chemical information storage and retrieval systems currently in operation is given. The types of systems (together with an identification of the specific systems) addressed within this survey are as follows: patents and bibliographies (Derwent's Patent System; IFI Comprehensive Database; PULSAR); pharmacology and toxicology (Chemfile; PAGODE; CBF; HEEDA; NAPRALERT; MAACS); the chemical information system (CAS Chemical Registry System; SANSS; MSSS; CSEARCH; GINA; NMRLIT; CRYST; XTAL; PDSM; CAISF; RTECS Search System; AQUATOX; WDROP; OHMTADS; MLAB; Chemlab); spectra (OCETH; ASTM); crystals (CRYSRC); and physical properties (DETHERM). Summary characteristics and current trends in chemical information systems development are also examined.

Dominick, Wayne D.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Advanced spacecraft fire safety: Proposed projects and program plan

A detailed review identifies spacecraft fire safety issues and the efforts for their resolution, particularly for the threats posed by the increased on-orbit duration, size, and complexity of the Space Station Freedom. Suggestions provided by a survey of Wyle consultants and outside fire safety experts were combined into 30 research and engineering projects. The projects were then prioritized with respect to urgency to meet Freedom design goals, status of enabling technology, cost, and so on, to yield 14 highest priority projects, described in terms of background, work breakdown structure, and schedule. These highest priority projects can be grouped into the thematic areas of fire detection, fire extinguishment, risk assessment, toxicology and human effects, and ground based testing. Recommendations for overall program management stress the need for NASA Headquarters and field center coordination, with information exchange through spacecraft fire safety oversight committees.

Youngblood, Wallace W.↗

NASA NTRS1989

An overview of the Space Station Freedom environmental health system

The proposed environmental health system (EHS) designed for the closed environment of the Space Station is examined. The internal contamination control and environmental health considerations for the Space Station are discussed. The microbiology, toxicology, water quality, radiological health, vibroacoustics, and barothermal physiology subsystems of the EHS are described. Proposed capabilities of the EHS are: the environmental sample collection, processing, and analysis of the breathing atmosphere, potable and hygiene water, and internal surfaces.

Richard, Elizabeth E.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Development of the Space Station Freedom Environmental Health System

The Environmental Health System (EHS), a subsystem of the Space Station Freedom (SSF) Crew Health Care System, was established to ensure that crewmembers will have a safe and healthy environment in which to live and work. EHS is comprised of six subsystems: Microbiology, Toxicology, Water Quality, Radiological Health, Vibroacoustics, and Barothermal Physiology. Each subsystem contributes to the overall functions of the EHS including environmental planning, environmental monitoring, environmental monitoring, environmental health assessments, and operations support. The EHS will provide hardware for monitoring the air, water, and internal surfaces of Freedom, including capabilities for inflight sample collection, processing, and analysis. The closed environment of SSF, and its dependence on recycled air and water, will necessitate a reliable monitoring system to alert crewmembers if contamination levels exceed the maximum allowable limits established to ensure crew health and safety. This paper describes the functions and hardware design status of the EHS.

Richard, Elizabeth E.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Space Station Water Quality

The manned Space Station will exist as an isolated system for periods of up to 90 days. During this period, safe drinking water and breathable air must be provided for an eight member crew. Because of the large mass involved, it is not practical to consider supplying the Space Station with water from Earth. Therefore, it is necessary to depend upon recycled water to meet both the human and nonhuman water needs on the station. Sources of water that will be recycled include hygiene water, urine, and cabin humidity condensate. A certain amount of fresh water can be produced by CO2 reduction process. Additional fresh water will be introduced into the total pool by way of food, because of the free water contained in food and the water liberated by metabolic oxidation of the food. A panel of scientists and engineers with extensive experience in the various aspects of wastewater reuse was assembled for a 2 day workshop at NASA-Johnson. The panel included individuals with expertise in toxicology, chemistry, microbiology, and sanitary engineering. A review of Space Station water reclamation systems was provided.

Willis, Charles E.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Chemical hazards database and detection system for Microgravity and Materials Processing Facility (MMPF)

The ability to identify contaminants associated with experiments and facilities is directly related to the safety of the Space Station. A means of identifying these contaminants has been developed through this contracting effort. The delivered system provides a listing of the materials and/or chemicals associated with each facility, information as to the contaminant's physical state, a list of the quantity and/or volume of each suspected contaminant, a database of the toxicological hazards associated with each contaminant, a recommended means of rapid identification of the contaminants under operational conditions, a method of identifying possible failure modes and effects analysis associated with each facility, and a fault tree-type analysis that will provide a means of identifying potential hazardous conditions related to future planned missions.

Steele, Jimmy↗

NASA NTRS1992

Occupational safety considerations with hydrazine

Hydrazine is a reducing agent that is most commonly used as a propellant and as an oxygen scavenger in boilers. Hydrazine is extremely irritating and has been demonstrated to produce both acute and chronic toxicity. As a result, the established permissible inhalation exposure limits are very low, and respiration protection is required whenever vapors are present. Liquid hydrazine penetrates the skin and produces a chemical burn; therefore, some protective measures must also be taken to protect the skin from liquid contact. Often, however, a cumbersome, whole-body protective suit is worn to protect against skin contact with vapor as well. To what extent it is actually necessary to protect skin from vapor penetration had not previously been demonstrated. In an attempt to answer this question, we conducted a study with rats to compare the dermal penetration of hydrazine vapor with inhalation. Pharmacokinetic modeling was used to compare body burdens resulting from these different routes of exposure. The analysis concluded that the vapor concentration during a skin-only exposure would have to be at least 200 times higher than that during inhalation to achieve the same body burden. This type of estimation illustrates the use of predictive toxicology in occupational exposures.

Clewell, Harvey J., III↗

NASA NTRS1992

Lab-scale Lidar Sensing of Diesel Engines Exhausts

Combustion technology and its environmental concerns are being considered with increasing attention, not only for global-scale effects, but also for toxicological implications, particularly in the lift conditions of traffic-congested areas and industrial sites. Majority combustion by-products (CO, NO(sub x)) and unburned hydrocarbons (HC), are already subject to increasingly severe regulations; however other, non-regulated minority species, mainly soot and heavy aromatic molecules, involve higher health risks, as they are suspected to be agents of serious pathologies and even mutagenic effects. This is but one of the reasons why much research work is being carried out worldwide on the physical properties of these substances. Correspondingly, the need arises to detect their presence in urban environments, with as high a sensitivity as is required by their low concentrations, proper time- and space-resolutions, and 'real-time' capabilities. Lidar techniques are excellent candidates to this purpose, although severe constraints limit their applicability, eye-safety problems and aerosol Mie scattering uncertainties above all. At CNR's Istituto Motori in Napels, a Lidar-like diagnostic system is being developed, aimed primarily at monitoring the dynamic behavior of internal combustion engines, particularly diesel exhausts, and at exploring the feasibility of a so-called 'Downtown Lidar'.

Borghese, A.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Publications of the environmental health program: 1980-1990

A 10-year cumulative bibliography of publications resulting from research supported by the Environmental Health Program of the Life Sciences Division of NASA is given. The goals of this program are to utilize ground based studies to understand the effects of the spacecraft and EVA environments on humans and other organisms; to specify, measure, and control these environments; and to develop countermeasures, where necessary, to optimize crew health, safety, and productivity. The primary subjects encompassed are barophysiology, toxicology, and microbiology. Principal Investigators whose research tasks resulted in publication are identified.

Wallace-Robinson, Janice↗

NASA NTRS1991

A Combustion Products Analyzer for contingency use during thermodegradation events on spacecraft

This paper will describe the Combustion Products Analyzer (CPA), which is being developed under the direction of the Toxicology Laboratory at Johnson Space Center to provide necessary data on air quality in the Shuttle following a thermodegradation incident. Using separate electrochemical sensors, the CPA monitors four gases (hydrogen fluoride/carbonyl fluoride, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen cyanide, and carbon monoxide), which were selected as the most hazardous compounds likely to be released during thermodegradation of synthetic materials. Electrochemical sensors have been available for several years; the CPA sensors, which are unique because of their small size and zero-gravity compatibility, will be described in detail.

Limero, Thomas↗

NASA NTRS1991

Thyroid effects of iodine and iodide in potable water

Experiments are reviewed which examine the comparative toxicological effects of iodide (I) and iodine (I2) when used to disinfect drinking water. References are made to a subchronic study in rats, a comparison of the distribution of radiolabeled I and I2, and a demonstration of thyroxine formation in the gastrointestinal tract. The results of the study of the rats are examined in detail; the findings show that I and I2 have opposite effects on the concentrations of thyroid hormones in blood. Iodide slightly decreases circulating thyroxine, while I2 significantly increases the thyroxine concentrations, decreases triiodothyronine levels, and does not change the weight of the thyroid gland. The related effects of I2 ingestion are set forth in detail and are shown to be unique to I2 contamination. Iodine can counteract the effects of iodide and should therefore be used as a disinfectant in drinking water.

Bull, Richard J.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Effects of microgravity or simulated launch on testicular function in rats

Reproductive toxicology and cellular and molecular biology approaches were used to evaluate testicular function in rats from Cosmos 2044. It is found that concentrations of testosterone in testicular tissue or peripheral blood plasma were reduced in flight rates to less than 20 percent of values for simulated-launch or vivarium controls. Spermatogenesis was essentially normal in flight rats, but production of testosterone was severely depressed.

Amann, R. P.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Health-risk based approach to setting drinking water standards for long-term space missions

In order to develop plausible and appropriate drinking water contaminant standards for longer-term NASA space missions, such as those planned for the Space Exploration Initiative, a human health risk characterization was performed using toxicological and exposure values typical of space operations and crew. This risk characterization showed that the greatest acute waterborne health concern was from microbial infection leading to incapacitating gastrointestinal illness. Ingestion exposure pathways for toxic materials yielded de minimus acute health risks unlikely to affect SEI space missions. Risks of chronic health problems were within acceptable public health limits. Our analysis indicates that current Space Station Freedom maximum contamination levels may be unnecessarily strict. We propose alternative environmental contaminant values consistent with both acceptable short and long-term crew health safety.

Macler, Bruce A.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 366)

This bibliography lists 248 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during Aug. 1992. Subject coverage concentrates on the biological, physiological, psychological, and environmental effects to which humans are subjected during and following simulated or actual flight in the Earth's atmosphere or in interplanetary space. References describing similar effects on biological organisms of lower order are also included. Such related topics as sanitary problems, pharmacology, toxicology, safety and survival, life support systems, exobiology, and personnel factors receive appropriate attention. Applied research receives the most emphasis, but references to fundamental studies and theoretical principles related to experimental development also qualify for inclusion.

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NASA NTRS1992

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 368)

This bibliography lists 305 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during Sep. 1992. The subject coverage concentrates on the biological, physiological, psychological, and environmental effects to which humans are subjected during and following simulated or actual flight in the Earth's atmosphere or in interplanetary space. References describing similar effects on biological organisms of lower order are also included. Such related topics as sanitary problems, pharmacology, toxicology, safety and survival, life support systems, exobiology, and personnel factors receive appropriate attention. Applied research receives the most emphasis, but references to fundamental studies and theoretical principles related to experimental development also qualify for inclusion.

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NASA NTRS1991

Environmental health discipline science plan

The purpose of this plan is to provide a conceptual strategy for NASA's Life Sciences Division research and development activities in environmental health. It covers the significant research areas critical to NASA's programmatic requirements for the Extended Duration Orbiter, Space Station Freedom, and exploration mission science activities. These science activities include ground-based and flight; basic, applied, and operational; animal and human subjects; and research and development. This document summarizes the history and current status of the program elements, outlines available knowledge, establishes goals and objectives, identifies scientific priorities, and defines critical questions in the three disciplines: (1) Barophysiology, (2) Toxicology, and (3) Microbiology. This document contains a general plan that will be used by both NASA Headquarters Program Officers and the field centers to review and plan basic, applied, and operational research and development activities, both intramural and extramural, in this area. The document is divided into sections addressing these three disciplines.

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NASA NTRS1993

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 373)

This bibliography lists 206 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during Feb. 1993. Subject coverage includes: aerospace medicine and physiology, pharmacology, toxicology, environmental effect, life support systems and man/system technology, protective clothing, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, planetary biology, and flight crew behavior and performance.

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