Is contaminated bleed air harmful? YES...

[AOPIS]

Is contaminated bleed air harmful? YES...

Conclusions of The Contaminated Air Protection Conference, London 20/21 April 2005.

The British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) invited every leading airline, aircraft manufacturer, engine manufacturer, lubricant manufacturer, regulators and every person who has ever had an input into the issues of contaminated air, whether independent or from industry to make a presentation at what was a very well organised conference by BALPA. BALPA also sensibly invited experts from issues which appear to have very similar medical effects to those being reported in crews and passengers, issues related to the Gulf War Syndrome and the Sheep Dippers.

Everyone who wished to present a paper was accommodated by the conference organisers BALPA. This only reinforces the conclusions drawn as a result of some 25 presentations made over the two days by the doctors, regulators, scientists, industry representatives and interested parties.

The conclusions were very clear, alarming, simple and included:

‘There is a workplace problem resulting in chronic and acute illness amongst flight crew (both pilots and cabin crew)’.

‘Further, we are concerned the passengers may also be suffering from similar symptoms to those exhibited by flight crew’.

‘Fume events are clearly being under reported’.

‘This, we conclude, is resulting in significant flight safety issues, in addition to unacceptable flight crew personnel health implications’.

‘Pregnant passengers are probably most at risk’.

'It is most likely the synergistic effect of the chemicals being breathed in by crews and passengers that is causing these medical effects.'

'Filters exist to remove most of these contaminants but airlines have not chosen to fit them'.


www.aopis.org


If you have ever experienced a contaminated bleed air event please let us know.

Contaminated air is usually described as a smell which include the following: dirty sock, chemical, wet dog, oily, gymnasium and vomit.

[earthman]

Contaminated air is usually described as a smell which include the following: dirty sock, chemical, wet dog, oily, gymnasium and vomit.

Isn't that what every airplane starts to smell like from the inside after a while anyway?

Slightly fftopic: : The bus at the airport of Rhodes, which was about to take us to our plane, was standing and waiting not very far from the rear end of an Airbus A320 or A319 which had just started it's engines, so we were all breathing jet exhaust while waiting to drive off. How about the health hazards of THAT?

[lastrow]

maybe it is even less harmful, because burning jet fuel might result in cleaner emission than burning diesel. I do not know, what jet fuel is particulary made of, but presumeably it must contain easier to burn hydrocarbons with less additives/other material.

but the bleed air topic is still intersting: sometimes I had also the feeling that I do not breathe the most healty air without being able to particulary identify a characteristic smell. would be nice to learn more about what might be in.

[earthman]

It is not just how bad the exhaust gas is, consider the amounts of it when two jet engines are blowing it straight at you!