Single-particle elemental analysis of vacuum bag dust samples collected from the International Space Station by SEM/EDX and sp-ICP-ToF-MS

Air quality on board the International Space Station (ISS) is a significant concern for the long-term health of astronauts living on the station. Aerosolized particles are generated from a variety of sources, such as on-board equipment, electronics, and the astronauts themselves. Airborne particles can remain suspended for significant amounts of time due to the absence of gravitational settling. In this work, we examine the particulate matter on board the ISS through scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDX) and single-particle multi-element inductively coupled plasma time-of-flight mass spectrometry (sp-ICP) analysis of two vacuum bag dust samples collected with a handheld vacuum cleaner used to clean surfaces and filter faces inside the ISS. SEM/EDX analysis shows that many large particles were collected. These particles are most commonly clothing fibers or of biological origin, along with smaller numbers of carbonaceous particles that may be from polymer and halopolymer materials. sp-ICP analysis quantitatively determined metal concentrations in particles approximately Copyright © 2021 American Association for Aerosol Research