Mr. Perplexed
3rd Jun 2001, 14:02
Hello All!
A very nice BA Hostie turned me on to this forum. This is my very first posting. I am, if you will, surrendering my PPRuNe virginity. Please be gentle.
Be that as it may and getting down to the business at hand, I was doing some websurfing in pursuit of some information on the phenomena of "blue ice," the frozen contents of aircraft lavatories occasionally dropped on houses and people.
I found the following that briefly touched on it, but figured the rest of the piece may be of some interest to you. As if you FAs don't have enough to worry about, the missive shown below claims that toilet contents are more potent than you might think. That's really the sh*ts!!
Keep in mind that these reports are several years old. Corrective action may have since been taken. Oh wait! This IS the real world! http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/eek.gif :rolleyes:
http://www.plant.uoguelph.ca/safefood/archives/fsnet/1997/5-1997/fs-05-22-97-01.txt
VIRUSES SURVIVE AIRCRAFT TOILET TREATMENT May 15, 1997
ProMed Viruses can survive chemical treatment in aircraft toilets, according to a study commissioned by WHO and the US CDC.
In a report in the New Scientist magazine picked up by news wires, environmental scientist Mark Sobsey from the University of North Carolina reported that his team had found viruses in almost half the samples of waste pumped from on-board toilets. "It was a bit of a jolt for us," Sobsey said, that the viruses could survive the chemicals used in the aircraft sewage tanks.
While all the viruses discovered in the waste are associated with enteric disorders, the finding means that other viruses, including those that cause hepatitis, could also survive what has hitherto been an acceptable method of neutralizing waste prior to treatment by commercial sewage plants. Sobsey, it is reported, said that the commercial treatment does not always kill all viruses. "That means one to 10 percent of the viruses survive and are discharged into the environment," he said. "We think there's a risk."
The use of stronger chemicals in all aircraft toilets has been suggested to stop the potential spread of viruses, bacteria and other pathogens around the world. This raises the question of safety for air transport workers and passengers. (emphasis added)
Angela Lee, ProMED-mail Special Correspondent
<[email protected]>
Some 15 years or so ago there was a body of research on "blue ice" ... the frozen contents of airplane toilets/lavatories ... and their risks. Plus ca change. Of course some of that risk was spectacular as the ice penetrated roofs and houses in its descent. MHJ-Mod
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
VIRUSES SURVIVE AIRCRAFT TOILET TREATMENT (02)Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 15:46:55 -0400 (EDT)
As long as aircraft sewage systems store their waste then discharge it into the on-ground sewage system, why is this a public health issue? It is no more a threat than an individual using the toilet upon landing and discharging pathogens into the standard [or non-standard - mhj] sewage system. The points to be concerned are then:
1. accidental discharge from the aircraft in flight;
2. the training and protection of ground crew; and
3. the functioning of the local sewage system.
Simon Elliott
Center for Vaccine Development
University of Maryland School of Medicine
[This message has been edited by Mr. Perplexed (edited 03 June 2001).]
A very nice BA Hostie turned me on to this forum. This is my very first posting. I am, if you will, surrendering my PPRuNe virginity. Please be gentle.
Be that as it may and getting down to the business at hand, I was doing some websurfing in pursuit of some information on the phenomena of "blue ice," the frozen contents of aircraft lavatories occasionally dropped on houses and people.
I found the following that briefly touched on it, but figured the rest of the piece may be of some interest to you. As if you FAs don't have enough to worry about, the missive shown below claims that toilet contents are more potent than you might think. That's really the sh*ts!!
Keep in mind that these reports are several years old. Corrective action may have since been taken. Oh wait! This IS the real world! http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/eek.gif :rolleyes:
http://www.plant.uoguelph.ca/safefood/archives/fsnet/1997/5-1997/fs-05-22-97-01.txt
VIRUSES SURVIVE AIRCRAFT TOILET TREATMENT May 15, 1997
ProMed Viruses can survive chemical treatment in aircraft toilets, according to a study commissioned by WHO and the US CDC.
In a report in the New Scientist magazine picked up by news wires, environmental scientist Mark Sobsey from the University of North Carolina reported that his team had found viruses in almost half the samples of waste pumped from on-board toilets. "It was a bit of a jolt for us," Sobsey said, that the viruses could survive the chemicals used in the aircraft sewage tanks.
While all the viruses discovered in the waste are associated with enteric disorders, the finding means that other viruses, including those that cause hepatitis, could also survive what has hitherto been an acceptable method of neutralizing waste prior to treatment by commercial sewage plants. Sobsey, it is reported, said that the commercial treatment does not always kill all viruses. "That means one to 10 percent of the viruses survive and are discharged into the environment," he said. "We think there's a risk."
The use of stronger chemicals in all aircraft toilets has been suggested to stop the potential spread of viruses, bacteria and other pathogens around the world. This raises the question of safety for air transport workers and passengers. (emphasis added)
Angela Lee, ProMED-mail Special Correspondent
<[email protected]>
Some 15 years or so ago there was a body of research on "blue ice" ... the frozen contents of airplane toilets/lavatories ... and their risks. Plus ca change. Of course some of that risk was spectacular as the ice penetrated roofs and houses in its descent. MHJ-Mod
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
VIRUSES SURVIVE AIRCRAFT TOILET TREATMENT (02)Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 15:46:55 -0400 (EDT)
As long as aircraft sewage systems store their waste then discharge it into the on-ground sewage system, why is this a public health issue? It is no more a threat than an individual using the toilet upon landing and discharging pathogens into the standard [or non-standard - mhj] sewage system. The points to be concerned are then:
1. accidental discharge from the aircraft in flight;
2. the training and protection of ground crew; and
3. the functioning of the local sewage system.
Simon Elliott
Center for Vaccine Development
University of Maryland School of Medicine
[This message has been edited by Mr. Perplexed (edited 03 June 2001).]