I don't remember the book avoiding it (but it's been many years), since he grows crops from the (again, too deadly from perchlorates to even grow a crop in without industrial-grade decontamination) soil. I remember diet issues, but I pegged those to nutrition.

Also Martian dust is deadly as fuck, May as well just snort asbestos if you're tracking it into your hab. Also, he never needed to worry about water since Martian soil has fucktons, and the duststorm would have not had any effect on the lander save visibility.