Aerotoxic Association
Encyclopedia
The Aerotoxic Association was set up on 18 June 2007 at the British
Houses of Parliament by Captain John Hoyte. The association is run by a group of airline pilots who believe they were made ill by the cabin air on jet aircraft
, with the assumption that the bleed air
was contaminated with engine oil. The name created by those alleging that such an illness exists, is Aerotoxic Syndrome
.
The aims of the association are to inform aircrew and passengers about the alleged dangers of cabin air, provide help and support and to lobby for change in regulations to improve the quality of cabin air on airliners.
Additionally, Prof Michael Bagshaw has concluded there have been no peer-reviewed recorded cases of neurological harm in humans following TCP exposure (the accused toxic ingredient in jet engine oil). Bagshaw cited an unpublished report from the Medical Toxicology Unit at Guy's Hospital in 2001. That report examined all exposures dating back to 1943 which showed that all documented exposures were to high concentrations, greatly in excess of the amount present in jet engine oil. He also noted that studies in Canada and the USA were unable to detect TCP in the cabin during flight. Prof Bagshaw notes that the symptoms are "largely the same as those reported by participants in all phase I drug trials", and are similar to the symptoms experienced by patients suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome
, gulf war syndrome
, Lyme disease
, chronic stress and chronic hyperventilation
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Houses of Parliament by Captain John Hoyte. The association is run by a group of airline pilots who believe they were made ill by the cabin air on jet aircraft
Jet aircraft
A jet aircraft is an aircraft propelled by jet engines. Jet aircraft generally fly much faster than propeller-powered aircraft and at higher altitudes – as high as . At these altitudes, jet engines achieve maximum efficiency over long distances. The engines in propeller-powered aircraft...
, with the assumption that the bleed air
Bleed air
Bleed air in gas turbine engines is compressed air taken from within the engine, after the compressor stage and before the fuel is injected in the burners. While in theory bleed air could be drawn in any gas turbine engine, its usage is generally restricted to jet engines used in aircraft...
was contaminated with engine oil. The name created by those alleging that such an illness exists, is Aerotoxic Syndrome
Aerotoxic syndrome
Aerotoxic syndrome is a term describing the alleged short-term and long-term ill-health effects that are attributed to exposure to cabin air that has been contaminated with atomized engine oils and other chemicals. The documentary film Welcome Aboard Toxic Airlines suggests the term was first...
.
The aims of the association are to inform aircrew and passengers about the alleged dangers of cabin air, provide help and support and to lobby for change in regulations to improve the quality of cabin air on airliners.
Criticism
In contrast to the claims of the Aerotoxic Association "Studies such as the European CabinAir project have shown that normally the levels of chemical and biological contaminants in aircraft are less than in many work environments such as office buildings."Additionally, Prof Michael Bagshaw has concluded there have been no peer-reviewed recorded cases of neurological harm in humans following TCP exposure (the accused toxic ingredient in jet engine oil). Bagshaw cited an unpublished report from the Medical Toxicology Unit at Guy's Hospital in 2001. That report examined all exposures dating back to 1943 which showed that all documented exposures were to high concentrations, greatly in excess of the amount present in jet engine oil. He also noted that studies in Canada and the USA were unable to detect TCP in the cabin during flight. Prof Bagshaw notes that the symptoms are "largely the same as those reported by participants in all phase I drug trials", and are similar to the symptoms experienced by patients suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Chronic fatigue syndrome is the most common name used to designate a significantly debilitating medical disorder or group of disorders generally defined by persistent fatigue accompanied by other specific symptoms for a minimum of six months, not due to ongoing exertion, not substantially...
, gulf war syndrome
Gulf War syndrome
Gulf War syndrome or Gulf War illness describes a medical condition that affected veterans and civilians who were near conflicts during or downwind of chemical weapons depot demolition, after the 1991 Gulf War. A wide range of acute and chronic symptoms have included fatigue, musculoskeletal...
, Lyme disease
Lyme disease
Lyme disease, or Lyme borreliosis, is an emerging infectious disease caused by at least three species of bacteria belonging to the genus Borrelia. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto is the main cause of Lyme disease in the United States, whereas Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii cause most...
, chronic stress and chronic hyperventilation
Hyperventilation
Hyperventilation or overbreathing is the state of breathing faster or deeper than normal, causing excessive expulsion of circulating carbon dioxide. It can result from a psychological state such as a panic attack, from a physiological condition such as metabolic acidosis, can be brought about by...
.
See also
- Welcome Aboard Toxic AirlinesWelcome Aboard Toxic AirlinesWelcome Aboard Toxic Airlines is a 2007 British investigative documentary film directed and produced by former airline captain Tristan Loraine on the subject of so-called aerotoxic syndrome.-Plot:...
(video) - GCAQE (Global Cabin Air Quality Executive )