World leading health experts say aviation industry must act on cabin
fumes as they launch new medical guidance

Date:
May 30, 2023
Source:
University of Stirling
Summary:
A group of world leading health and scientific experts are calling
on the aviation industry to take action to protect passengers and
aircrew from dangerous cabin fumes which they say have led to a
new emerging disease.

Led by former pilot and aviation health researcher, the specialists
have released the first medical protocol of its kind to help treat
those effected by contamination of the aircraft cabin breathing
air supply and collect data on contamination events.


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FULL STORY ==========================================================================
A group of world leading health and scientific experts are calling on the aviation industry to take action to protect passengers and aircrew from dangerous cabin fumes which they say have led to a new emerging disease.

Led by former pilot and leading global aviation health researcher Dr Susan Michaelis, the specialists have released the first medical protocol of
its kind to help treat those effected by contamination of the aircraft
cabin breathing air supply and collect data on contamination events.

The International Fume Events Task Force, made up of 17 doctors,
occupational health specialists, toxicologists, epidemiologists and
aviation experts, have spent six years researching and preparing the
evidence and guidance. The result is a unique protocol for medical staff
and non-medically trained airline staff which outlines the actions and investigations they should carry out when a person has been exposed to
fumes or fume events.

Aircrew and passengers are exposed to chronic background low-levels of
engine oils and hydraulic fluids leaking into the aircraft air supply
during every flight. They can also experience adverse effects from more irregular 'fume' events, which mark incidents when there's a noticeable
level of contaminants in the cabin.

Dr Michaelis, who is an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the University
of Stirling, said: "This has been happening for the last 70 years and
reports of air crew becoming unwell continue to rise.

"Currently, when aircrew or passengers become unwell, whether they are
still on the plane, suffer symptoms in the days or weeks to come, or
report illness in the years that follow, there's nothing in the medical
books, there's no guidance material for the aviation industry or medical professionals and very often they get turned away or are given minimal
testing.

"This new medical protocol has been written by internationally
recognised experts and presents a consensus approach to the recognition, investigation and management of people suffering from the toxic effects
of inhaling thermally degraded engine oil and other fluids contaminating
the air conditioning systems in aircraft, and includes actions and investigations for in-flight, immediately post-flight and late subsequent follow up.

"All of the data and evidence collected strongly suggests a causal
connection between the contaminants from the oils and hydraulic fluids and people becoming unwell. This is the first comprehensive and systematic
approach for documenting and gathering further epidemiological data
in what is a discreet and emerging occupational health syndrome."
The medical protocol and an accompanying narrative review have been
published in the open access peer reviewed journal, Environmental Health.

The narrative review illustrates the diffuse and consistent pattern of
adverse effects, as documented by aircrew and some passengers, after
breathing these fumes onboard and incorporates the findings from fume
event reports and documented ill health effects that were collected over decades in multiple countries and regions.

Professor Andrew Watterson of the University of Stirling said "This is
a globally important and ground-breaking study using a narrative review
of a significant and complex problem for those exposed to aircraft cabin
air supply fumes that result in a range of often serious adverse effects.

"It has generated a very useful tool in the process, based on recent
research, in the form of a protocol for identifying, assessing
and better documenting those effects in the future." Exposure to
aircraft contaminated air and fume events is associated with documented
aircrew impairment and incapacitation, jeopardizing the safety of the
flight. These exposures are known to cause foggy thinking, dizziness,
fatigue and impaired short-term memory and cognitive thinking. It can
also cause neurological, respiratory and cardiac complaints, while other studies have drawn links with various cancers.

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========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Stirling. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Jonathan Burdon, Lygia Therese Budnik, Xaver Baur, Gerard Hageman,
C.

Vyvyan Howard, Jordi Roig, Leonie Coxon, Clement E. Furlong,
David Gee, Tristan Loraine, Alvin V. Terry, John Midavaine, Hannes
Petersen, Denis Bron, Colin L. Soskolne, Susan Michaelis. Health
consequences of exposure to aircraft contaminated air and
fume events: a narrative review and medical protocol for the
investigation of exposed aircrew and passengers.

Environmental Health, 2023; 22 (1) DOI: 10.1186/s12940-023-00987-8 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/05/230530174304.htm

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