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Indoor Air Pollution
Published in William J. Rea, Kalpana D. Patel, Reversibility of Chronic Disease and Hypersensitivity, Volume 4, 2017
William J. Rea, Kalpana D. Patel
On most jet turbine aircraft, unfiltered engine bleed air is fed into the cabin, providing oxygen and heat for those aboard.140 Exposure of passengers and crew to some level of TAPs occurs in approximately 23% of monitored flights,141,142 whereas higher levels of exposure can occur when engine seals wear or fail. Symptoms of aerotoxic syndrome resulting from such exposures can include extreme mental impairment,143 an acute flight safety issue when crew exposure to contaminated air is significant. Material safety data sheets for synthetic jet lubricants list TAP contents of 1%–10%. Acute as well as long-term effects have been shown in the form of neurotoxicity resembling Parkinson's disease.
Three patients with probable aerotoxic syndrome
Published in Clinical Toxicology, 2020
G. Hageman, T. M. Pal, J. Nihom, S. J. MackenzieRoss, M. van den Berg
Over the last two decades, several case studies and health surveys have been published describing health effects of aircrew and passengers, attributed to exposure to contaminated air [1]. Hydraulic fluids and engine oils contain a large number of toxic chemicals, including various organophosphates. The term “aerotoxic syndrome” (ATS) was proposed in 2000 to describe the short- and long-term health effects associated with breathing contaminated cabin air. However, reported symptoms are nonspecific and cabin air quality studies indicate contaminant levels are below occupational exposure limits and of no concern to human health [2]. Furthermore, objective evidence of exposure is frequently lacking in previous case studies and surveys and findings from routine medical and neurological examination (including brain imaging) are often reported to be normal in symptomatic aircrew. In this paper, we describe two pilots and one flight attendant, with neurological, respiratory and gastro-intestinal symptoms which onset during their flying career and report the findings of more specialized tests of nervous system injury, metabolic capacity and biomarkers of exposure to OP compounds.
Aerotoxic syndrome, discussion of possible diagnostic criteria
Published in Clinical Toxicology, 2020
Gerard Hageman, Teake M. Pal, Jik Nihom, Sarah J. Mackenzie Ross, Martin van den Berg
The term “Aerotoxic Syndrome” (ATS) was proposed in 1999 to describe a constellation of symptoms reported by cabin crew [1]. On most commercial aircraft, cabin air is drawn from outside and then circulated around the engine before being pumped into the cabin (“bleed air”). Cabin air sometimes becomes contaminated by hydraulic fluids or jet engine oils because of faulty seals or following the overfilling of oil reservoirs. Hydraulic fluids and engine oils contain a number of potentially neurotoxic organophosphate compounds (OPC) including tricresyl phosphate (TCP), but also contain other neurotoxins such as toluene and xylenes.