Unexpected Hygiene Issues on the ISS: What You Need to Know!

Living in space for long periods can have serious health effects on astronauts. Issues like muscle loss, decreased bone density, and changes in how organs work are common. They may also face immune problems, such as skin rashes and inflammation.

A recent study suggests these health issues could arise from the very clean environments aboard spacecraft and the International Space Station (ISS). The research, led by Rodolfo A. Salido and Haoqi Nina Zhao at the University of California San Diego (UCSD), implies that having more microbes on board might actually be beneficial for astronauts.

Working alongside astronauts, researchers collected samples from 803 surfaces on the ISS, a significant increase compared to past surveys. This effort aimed to create a detailed map of the microbes present in different areas of the station.

The findings revealed that the ISS has a lower diversity of microbes than many human-made environments on Earth. The study also showed that cleaning chemicals were prevalent throughout the station. Most microbes came from astronauts’ skin cells. It was interesting to note that different areas of the ISS had unique microbial communities. For example, the kitchen areas contained more food-related microbes, while the space toilet had microbes linked to waste products.

Zhao noted, “The amount of disinfectant on surfaces in the ISS is closely linked to the variety of microbes found there.” This indicates that allowing more microbes could lead to better astronaut health. Salido pointed out, “Future space habitats might benefit from creating environments that allow diverse microbial communities to thrive.”

The study’s authors found that the microbial diversity on the ISS is akin to that in urban, industrialized areas on Earth, and it lacks the free-living microbes typically found in soil and water. They propose incorporating these beneficial microbes into the ISS could enhance astronaut health while still maintaining cleanliness.

Co-author Robin Knight emphasized the difference between healthy soil exposure from gardening and the risks of being in an overly sanitized space. The researchers aim to refine their studies to identify possibly harmful microbes and find ways to monitor astronaut health effectively.

This research not only targets space health but also has the potential to improve the well-being of people working in similarly sterilized environments back on Earth. The study received support from multiple organizations, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and UCSD.

The findings were published on February 27th in the journal Cell under the title, “The International Space Station has a unique and extreme microbial and chemical environment driven by use patterns.”