Dry separation of respirable lunar dust: Providing samples for the lunar airborne dust toxicity advisory group

In order to study the toxicity of lunar dust, the respirable size fraction of lunar soil needed to be separated with an apparatus that possesses the following capabilities: no use of liquid; fully recoverable sample; and use of only small sample quantities (<1 gm). We report the design of a simple apparatus that meets these requirements and implements an inertial-impaction mechanism established in aerosol science. Lunar soil was agitated at a frequency of 100 Hz using a vibration table with a containment chamber under a constant air flow. The air flow carried the lofted lunar dust particles past four impactors (four T-junction connectors), upon which a fraction of large particles were captured during the impaction. The fine particles in the air flow were then collected by an end-of-the line membrane filter. Detailed examination of particles on the filter showed that the majority (∼80–90 wt%) are <3 μm (geometric diameter), suggesting a high level of effectiveness for the apparatus.