Contaminated Air

[AOPIS]

GLOBAL PRESS RELEASE:

Despite 2005 being another year in denial, exposure to 'Contaminated Air' on commercial aircraft is again confirmed as causing long term health effects but airlines and governments fail to act.

Despite 30 years of industry and governmental efforts to bury the truth that some passengers and crews are getting sick following exposure to contaminated air on commercial jet aircraft, the truth continues to come out. The reputable Journal of Occupational Health & Safety in its very recent 'Special Issue' again shows that crews and passengers are suffering long term medical effects. The Journal cover has a title that cannot make the findings any clearer: New findings in aircrew exposed to airborne contaminants: long-term health effects confirmed.'

Despite the mounting evidence provided globally by many union groups such as ITF, AFAP, BALPA, IPA, AFA, CUPE, etc.. and by leading doctors and scientists that contaminated air is a serious health and flight safety issue, nothing is done to protect the travelling public and working crews. Passengers are NOT told that they have been exposed to contaminated air and the governments do nothing to ensure that airlines tell passengers what they are legally entitled to know, notably they have been exposed to neurotoxins such as the organophosphate TCP.

Filtration technology exists to protect passengers and crews at relatively low cost (US$ 10,000) but airlines put their profits ahead of passenger and crew welfare.


Notes to editors:

The passenger cabin and cockpit air becomes contaminated with jet engine oils and hydraulic fluids due to poor engine design and poor maintenance. These oils when heated or pyrolised, produce toxic fumes which are inhaled and absorbed via the skin by passengers and crews when the air is being contaminated. The toxic fumes include the organophosphate TCP; Carbon Monoxide; Benzene, 1,1,1-Trichloroethane; 1,2-Dichloroethane; Formaldehyde; Acetaldehyde; Toluene etc..


The recently published report is available at:

Publisher: CCH Australia Ltd
Fax: [phone]

Special Issue of The Journal of Occupational Health & Safety - Australia & New Zealand
Volume 21 (5)

'New findings in aircrew exposed to airborne contaminants: long-term health effects confirmed.'


For more information:

See www.aopis.org
Email: [email protected]

or contact unions in your country:

In Australia contact AFAP
In the UK contact BALPA, IPA, ITF or TGWU
In the US contact AFA, USALPA
In Canada contact CUPE
In France contact ETF


Additional Reading: New Papers From 2005 Showing That Contaminated Air is Harmful:

Air Quality in Airplane Cabins and Similar Enclosed Spaces
Series: The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry
Vol. 4: Air Pollution, Part H
Hocking, Martin B.; Hocking, Diana (Eds.)
2005, XV, 410 p. 29 illus., Hardcover
ISBN: 3-540-25019-0
http://www.springer.com/sgw/cda/fron...9600-0,00.html

or

Proceedings of the BALPA Air Safety and Cabin Air Quality International Aero Industry Conference.
Held at Imperial College, London, 20-21 April 2005
(Conference called for by UK MPs John Smith and Paul Tyler)
ISBN 0-7334-2282-9
E mail UNSW, Sydney: "Chris Winder" <[email protected]>