This thread was started 7 years ago when the High Court of Australia ruled in 2010 that inhaling heated Mobil Jet Oil II was harmful to the lungs. This was several years after the AAIB agreed flight safety was being compromised from contaminated air exposures and recommended to EASA and the FAA that contaminated air detection systems be fitted to all turbine/jet powered aircraft - something that has yet to occur.
This week I see there is a significant paper published in a World Health Organisation journal entitled: 'Aerotoxic Syndrome: A new occupational disease'
http://www.euro.who.int/__data/asset...yndrom_ENG.pdf
The authors are probably the most informed on this issue you could ask for.
One is former Australian pilot Dr Susan Michaelis who not only holds a PhD on the issue but also trained as an air accident investigator at Cranfield and her MSc published last year 'Implementation Of The Requirements For The Provision Of Clean Air In Crew And Passenger Compartments Using The Aircraft Bleed Air System' confirmed that engine seals leak oil as a function of design, not only during seal failures. This explains why the neurotoxic organophosphate tricresyl phosphate has been found on the majority of air samples and interior swab samples taken from the internal surfaces of jet aircraft. This means crews and passengers are exposed on every flight to some degree - this may explain the higher cancer rates and ill health seen in crews confirmed by Harvard and others.
The next author is Order of Australia winner, Dr Jonathan Burdon OA, past President of the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand.
The final author is Professor Vyvyan Howard. A professor in Bioimaging and a medically-qualified toxico-pathologist and the current leader of the Nano Systems Research Group.
I think the paper finally shows this issue has to be taken seriously as does the issue.
So what can be done to keep aviation safe, profitable and resolve this issue?
I understand the solutions to this problem will finally be presented at the industry supported 2017 Aircraft Cabin Air Conference in London on 19/20 September. The event is supported by Pall Aerospace, the GCAQE, Air Canada pilots, Both Australian pilot unions, APFA - the largest flight attendant union in the world, Virgin Atlantic pilots and others.
The solution to this problem I am told from a Flight Ops director I respect and trust, is a modern version of the military spec activated carbon filtration system DHL introduced to their B757 aircraft nearly 10 years ago with huge success.
The new version of this Pall designed filter, according to my source, has already been flight tested on an Airbus A320 aircraft at Spirit in the last month and filters the air coming off the packs with minimal flow rate change - it also comes with warning sensors I am told which will please the AAIB and others.
This will finally resolve an issue first reported by crews in the 1950s and will in one move mitigate a health and flight safety issue that should be addressed.
Some crews report they have flown for years with no health effects - others have lost their careers but ultimately these filters will protect the weakest link - the unborn child, the passengers who pay our wages as crew.
It’s a no-brainer - fit the filters which work and make aviation safer - everyone wins.
For one I will be at the conference in London as this will be big news - well done to all those unions who have championed this issue for so many years, especially the Australians.