I mean how come none of the BE passengers have been affected
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This piece, aimed at passengers, should further enlighten those wanting to know more.
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Airliner cabin air – the surprising truth about how and
why it could be very dangerous to your health.
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An industry insider reveals the truth
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What you are about to read may seem too far-fetched to be true. Sadly, it is an accurate picture of a little known yet serious problem.
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At the altitudes at which airliners fly, the outside air pressure is very low so the cabin must therefore be kept supplied with a source of pressurised air to ensure that there is sufficient oxygen for the occupants to breathe. Early airliners used a separate machine to supply this air, however for several decades designers have used the engines as a source of pressurised air. This is cheap and convenient - but potentially dangerous - source of air for the cabin, as we shall see. Let’s have a brief look at the workings of a jet engine:
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How jet engines work Most people are familiar with the appearance of a typical airliner’s jet engine; a fat tube with a large fan at the front. This fan provides most of the thrust that propels the aircraft in flight. Behind this large fan lies a series of much smaller fans which take in the air that is used to burn the fuel. Each of these fans progressively compresses and heats the air before it reaches the engine’s combustion chambers. In modern airliners, a small amount of this very hot compressed air is ‘bled’ off; this bleed air is then used to supply the cabin after it’s treated for pressure and temperature. However, remarkably, no filters are used between the engines and the cabin. Yes, you did read that correctly.
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Bearings Now, each of the smaller fans runs in its own sealed bearing, which must be lubricated by engine oil. All is well with this system, provided that none of the engine’s many bearing seals become worn or damaged which can cause them to leak. Such leaks can allow engine oil to escape the bearing and become vapourised as it mixes with the bleed air on its way to the cabin.
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Inhaling a tiny bit of vapourised jet oil may not sound too bad until you know what’s in it. Jet engine oil is not at all like auto oil – one crucial difference is that it contains around 4% organophosphates (OPs). Note that OPs are well known as a highly potent neurotoxin and were originally intended for chemical warfare purposes. Yes, what amounts to nerve gas might be in the air you have to breathe. Nice.
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If vapourised oil does reach the cabin, the exposure mechanism is by inhalation against which the body has few defences. It is fact that passengers (and aircrews) are being exposed, and it’s happening on a daily basis to everyone on board. Aircraft are not fitted with fume detectors. Detection by passengers is impossible. Even when events are known about, airlines are not informing their passengers. Did I mention the lack of filters?
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It seems that some people are particularly sensitive to exposure to OP toxins, and for these people even extremely small exposures are potentially very serious. Sensitive individuals can even find themselves literally incapacitated by the fumes in short order. Your pilot could quite possibly be one such individual. At least one such incident is on record, in which a crash was narrowly averted. There’s something to think about. Further symptoms then typically develop over many months. It can take literally years to recover from them. Some people never recover. Because of this time delay, pinpointing the cause of illness caused by this form of poisoning usually never happens - most people with Aerotoxic Syndrome as its becoming known, have absolutely no idea what’s wrong or why they have become so ill. Medical professionals are similarly unaware of this scandalous situation. From their point of view, the closest 'fit' is depression, so many exposed and symptomatic individuals are misdiagnosed and prescribed anti-depressants. A further dose of toxins in the form of synthetic pharmaceuticals is absolutely not what you need after being poisoned.
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Please don’t underestimate just how unpleasant inhaling OPs can be. They are extremely toxic even in very small quantities. A brief summary of some of the many possible symptoms of Aerotoxic Syndrome is:
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Short term symptoms These can include severe fatigue, and even incapacitation. Also blurred or tunnel vision, disorientation, shaking and tremors, loss of balance and vertigo and seizures. The delicate chemistry of the brain is disrupted, typically causing the individual to be more emotional, reactive and volatile, and easily irritated and/or angered. Memory impairment, headache, light-headedness, dizziness, confusion, feeling intoxicated, gastro-intestinal symptoms such as nausea and vomiting, respiratory symptoms such as coughing and irritation of nose and upper airways. Breathing difficulties such as shortness of breath and chest tightness. Cardiovascular symptoms such as increased heart rate and palpitations. Irritation of eyes. There is also an increased chance of birth defects for newborns and miscarriages for pregnant women.
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Long term symptoms These typically include weakness and fatigue leading to chronic fatigue-type symptoms, exhaustion, hot flushes, joint pain, muscle weakness, muscular aches and pain. Other typical symptoms include memory impairment, forgetfulness, lack of concentration, reduced co-ordination, headaches/migraine, dizziness, depression, sleep disorders, gastro-intestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Respiritory symptoms such as breathing difficulties and chest tightness may occur. Cardiovascular symptoms such as chest pain, increased heart rate and palpitations. Irritation of eyes, nose and upper airways. Chemical sensitivity leading to acquired or multiple chemical sensitivity. Physiological symptoms can include a severe reduction in libido and even a sensitivity to non-organic foodstuffs.
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What can passengers do about this? The bleed air system of pressurising airliners is as you can see, fundamentally flawed on health grounds. If you are on an aeroplane in which a contaminated air event, as they are known occurs there is absolutely nothing you can do about it. The problem can occur on any aircraft type. One source estimates almost 200,000 individuals were exposed in one year in the UK alone. Boeing’s forthcoming new 787 will go back to the old and safer pressurisation system which was abandoned decades ago. In the meantime, personally, I will not risk travel by airliner any more. You have been warned.
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If you want to know more, there's plenty of information including testimonials and a video at:
www.aerotoxic.org