Toxic airline cabin air could be making you sick

[Guest guest]

Originally published June 17 2010

Aerotoxic syndrome - Toxic airline cabin air could be making you sick

by Mike , the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor

(NaturalNews) Have you ever flown on an airplane and later become

mysteriously ill? Maybe you developed a headache, had trouble breathing or

experienced severe brain fog? These symptoms (and many others) just might be

the

result of breathing toxic fumes that regularly circulate throughout many

commercial airline cabins.

Aerotoxic Syndrome, the unofficial name now being used to identify _the

laundry list of both acute and chronic symptoms caused by breathing

contaminated jet cabin air_

(http://www.aerotoxic.org/index.php/about-aerotoxic-syndrome#symptoms) , include

things like chronic fatigue, respiratory

difficulties, vision problems and cognitive disorder.

For some, the symptoms may be short-lived, but for others, persistent

neurological damage may occur as a result of exposure, and many don't even

realize it's happening until it's too late.

So what exactly is Aerotoxic Syndrome?

Airplanes fly at elevations that are thousands of feet above sea level

where the air is cold and thin. If this air were to be pumped in directly from

the outside, it would not be breathable for passengers. In order to make

it suitable for breathing, it must be pressurized, heated, and then

circulated to the passengers.

Originally, planes were designed with mechanical compressors that produced

clean, suitable cabin air. But since the 1950s, most commercial planes

have been redesigned to make cabin air by drawing in a compressed supply of it

from plane engines (a less expensive way to produce it). Typically, this

" bleed air " is mixed with existing cabin air and recirculated throughout the

flight.

The only problem is that the area of the engine from which this air is

drawn is often contaminated with toxic fumes from the friction that occurs

between various moving parts and the oil that lubricates them.

These compartments are designed with seals that are supposed to block

fumes from getting into the cabin, but they are not 100 percent effective. And

like everything else, they break down over time, letting more and more oil

mix with hot compressed air.

Sometimes so much oil mixes with air being drawn into the cabin that

passengers will literally be able to see fumes and smoke filling the cabin.

This

is commonly referred to as a " fume event " .

The type of oil used to lubricate plane engines is a complex, synthetic

variety that has been specially formulated to endure extreme conditions. So

naturally it is filled with all kinds of toxic components, including

Tricresyl phosphate (TCP), a known neurotoxin that is used in pesticides and

nerve

agents.

Heavy metal particles such as nickel, cadmium and beryllium also make

their way into the mix as the " bleed air " is drawn through engine channels. And

because all of these different toxins are exposed to extremely hot engine

air, there's no telling what kinds of new contaminants are formed by the

time air enters the cabin.

According to the _Aerotoxic Association_ (http://www.aerotoxic.org/) ,

these toxins cause damage to the central nervous system that vary from person

to person. Some people may experience immediate symptoms while others may

notice a pattern of illness that becomes progressively worse over time.

How is the aviation industry responding to Aerotoxic Syndrome?

Not surprisingly, government and regulatory authorities will not even

admit that Aerotoxic Syndrome exists. According to them, there is not enough

evidence that the toxic fumes circulating in airplane cabins are responsible

for any sort of illness. And vaccines are perfectly good for you too, by

the way. And sunlight is bad for you. (The denials just never end...)

This is all quite astounding, considering the _numerous testimonies_

(http://www.aerotoxic.org/index.php/victims-testimonies) from pilots, air

filtration experts, flight attendants and passengers that have been harmed by

toxic cabin air.

Take, for instance, _the story of Tony _

(http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_8270000/8270978.stm) , a former

commercial airline pilot

who quit after ten years because of health problems. Blood tests revealed

that his body was filled with petroleum-related chemicals that led to severe

neurological damage, leaving him unable to fly planes.

And it's not just individuals making these claims. The U.K Parliament's

House of Lords made a request back in 2007 that the substances contained in

cabin air fumes be analyzed to determine safety. This group realized there

was a problem and sought answers. But no answers were forthcoming...

A group from Cranfield University agreed to conduct the study and release

the results by March 15, 2010, but it has yet to do so. And according to

the Aerotoxic Association, the group may never release the report because the

university has " close commercial partnerships with Airbus, BAE Systems,

Boeing and Rolls-Royce, to name just a few " .

So do all planes recycle toxic air?

According to the Aerotoxic Association, virtually all jet aircraft and

turboprops use an air circulating system that is susceptible to toxic fumes.

The only type of plane that uses non-bleed technology is the new Boeing 787

Dreamliner.

This commercial jet is the first one in over 40 years to be created using

safe technology, despite evidence since at least the early 1990s that bleed

technology creates toxic cabin air.

While the creation of this jet is a positive step in the right direction,

neither Boeing nor any other jet manufacturer is willing to take

responsibility for the thousands of other jets out there that continue to

poison

passengers and flight crews.

You would think that plane manufacturers would at least install filters to

clean the bleed air before it enters the cabin, but they simply aren't

doing this. Most planes don't even have contaminated air detectors to identify

the presence of harmful toxins (probably because if they did, the alarms

would never stop sounding).

The industry should admit to the problem

It's amazing to think that one little cost-cutting measure could have such

incredible consequences. Whatever money was saved by plane manufacturers

in converting to bleed air technology is nothing in comparison to the

billions of dollars it may cost them to retrofit their planes with air filters

that would protect passengers.

And that doesn't even consider the health care costs to the passengers, by

the way.

In the meantime, companies like Boeing will gradually introduce new planes

with the improved technology without ever admitting there was a problem

with the old ones. And millions of people will continue to fly on old, toxic

planes that are needlessly destroying their health.

Let's hope the growing media attention to this issue forces the aviation

industry to address the problem, install proper filters on existing planes,

and stop using air bleed technology on all future planes.