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| Jetliner air may be
hazardous, study says Strict monitoring program recommended Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Los Angeles Times |
Friday, December 7, 2001
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Washington -- The air quality aboard jetliners can be hazardous to passengers' health, the National Academy of Sciences said yesterday, calling for an ambitious monitoring program that could lead to stricter federal requirements. "Environmental factors, including air contaminants, can be responsible for some of the numerous complaints of acute and chronic health effects in cabin crew and passengers," a panel convened by the academy's National Research Council said in the first major report on the subject in more than 15 years. The 13-member panel said areas of concern for passengers and crew members alike included cabin pressure, ozone and carbon monoxide levels, and potential exposures to pesticides and to fumes from engine oil, hydraulic fluids and de- icing liquid. However, ventilation systems "do not appear" to facilitate the spread of viruses and infections, it said. The air that passengers and crew members breathe aboard a jetliner is a combination of outside air brought in through the engines and air from the cabin that is filtered and recirculated. Among the issues of "high" and "moderate" concern cited in the report were: -- Cabin pressure. Federal regulations say the air pressure aboard a jet at cruising altitude must be no less than it would be on the ground at an elevation of 8,000 feet. But the panel said that standard might be insufficient to protect people in poor health and very young children. -- Ozone. The pollutant, which is known to irritate breathing passages and diminish lung capacity, occurs in greater concentrations high in the atmosphere. But only newer aircraft are equipped with converters that neutralize ozone. -- Carbon monoxide. Even low concentrations can cause headaches and light- headedness. High concentrations can occur when there are problems with an aircraft's ventilation system. There is no system for monitoring carbon monoxide levels. -- Pesticides. Some foreign countries still require flights from abroad to be sprayed with insecticides. In the United States, the practice has long been abandoned because of concerns about health effects. The report called for the federal government to launch a major research program into the quality of cabin air, to be overseen by an independent scientific advisory board. Standards are inadequate in several areas, the report said. For example, the FAA requirement for cabin air pressure was set in 1964 "without any rationale," said Eileen Abt, one of the study's staff directors. "It has never been revisited," she said. Even in a pressurized cabin, the panel said, the air may be too thin for people with heart and lung problems, and for the very young. The report represents a major challenge to government and industry, said Dr. Russell Rayman, a panel member and executive director of the Aerospace Medical Association, which represents health professionals working in aviation and space medicine. "They have to be willing to take action that will require a considerable amount of resources," Rayman said. The report was originally scheduled for release at the end of September, but the date was postponed out of concern that its recommendations would go unnoticed in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks, Abt said. The FAA reacted cautiously to the 246-page report. "We need a little time to review it ourselves," a spokeswoman said. |
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