Instrumental methods to monitor and counter planetary oxidants in space applications
Christos D. Georgiou  1, *@  , Elias Chatzitheodoridis  2, 3, *@  , Ioannis Markopoulos  4@  , Malgorzata Holynska  3, *@  , Adrian Philip Tighe  3@  
1 : University of Patras, Greece
2 : National Technical University of Athens, Greece
3 : ESA - ESTEC (Netherlands)
4 : 01 Mechatronics, Greece
* : Corresponding author

Planetary Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) are inorganic chemical oxidants, which are generated by the intense galactic/UV radiation in interaction with planetary minerals and their surfaces from fracturing during micrometeorite impacts. Such ROS are metal superoxides, peroxides, and perchlorates, which upon H2O-wetting generate the secondary ROS superoxide and hydroxyl radicals, and peroxide (O2•− and •OH, and O2-2, respectively, also originating from total ROS cross-reactions). Because of ROS potential to compromise space missions in various ways, we developed instrumental methods and lab assays for ROS quantitative identification. The 1st, OxR (Oxygen Release) is a TRL 4 microfluidic instrument, which measures the total ROS in regolith soils by a H2O-induced two-step conversion of metal superoxides/peroxides into gaseous oxygen (O2). The 2nd, measures •OH from the fluorescence of 2-OH-terephthalate, formed by •OH specific reaction with terephthalic acid. The 3rd, measures O2•– (extracted from metal superoxides in aprotic crown ether) by the UV-absorbance of trinitromethanide, formed by O2•− specific reaction with tetranitromethane. We also developed activated dust simulants from Moon/Mars regoliths and Lunar meteorites, to be used as planetary ROS simulants in testing the successful implementation of space applications with the instruments and specific lab assays for O2•−, •OH, H2O2. These include search for soils with minimum ROS-load for finding intact biosignatures of alien life, and with maximum SOS-load for “oxygen farming” (large scale field concept of the OxR) for astronaut use, Lunar and Martian soil dust biotoxicity measurement on exposed astronaut suites and helmets, cosmic radiation biotoxicity potential monitoring in space stations/ships, biotoxic •OH identification in space station water supplies for drinking/food preparation, and in space agriculture, with extension to numerous terrestrial applications. Specific ROS identification will also allow their elimination by selected antioxidants, which can be also used as dietary supplements for astronaut health protection.


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