Inappropriate Use of Risk Assessment in Addressing Health Hazards Posed by Civil Aircraft Cabin Air

Abstract

Toxicological reviews of data on Aerotoxic Syndrome that have been widely referenced by the airline industry tend to use a toxicological endpoint, Organo-Phosphate Induced Neuropathy (OPIDN), that is acknowledged to be the result of a very high dose of organophosphate exposure. Additionally, the reviews tend to only address one chemical, Tri-Ortho Cresyl Phosphate (TOCP), ignoring the presence of other toxic compounds in a complex mixture. In using this to justify the safety of the continued use of unfiltered engine bleed air to ventilate civil aircraft cabins, this represents a misuse of toxicological risk assessment. The approach totally ignores the scientific literature on repeated low-dose exposure to OPs over extended periods, the constant presence of a complex mixture of OPs in engine bleed air and their overall toxicity and the variable susceptibility of individuals to toxicological damage. This paper lists the above-mentioned studies and reviews a sub-set. We present the scientific literature that should be considered to make a realistic risk assessment of the hazards of aircraft engine bleed air.