The Lung in Aerotoxic Syndrome

Citation

Roig J, Michaelis S & Burdon J (2022) The Lung in Aerotoxic Syndrome [El pulmón en el síndrome aerotóxico]. Archivos de Bronconeumología. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arbres.2022.03.021

Abstract
In most aircraft cabin and flight deck ventilation use outside air mixed with air recirculated from the cabin. In all transport aircraft, except the Boeing B787 Dreamliner, cabin air pressurization, heating, and ventilation are achieved using unfiltered air supplied both from the gas turbine engines and from the auxiliary power units (APU) on the ground.1 When the air that comes from the outside moves through the engine compressor it gets very hot. It must be cooled down by heat exchangers and then go to the air conditioning packs (Fig. 1). This outside air that comes from the engine/APU compressors is commonly known as bleed air and is unfiltered. Jet engine oils may leak into the breathing air because seals used in bleed air systems do not completely prevent low levels of contamination from reaching the cabin air.1 Reliable aircraft air quality monitoring is lacking. The generic term “aircraft fume events” refers to the detection of abnormal odors, fumes, smoke, or haze in the cabin. An important device for air cleaning is HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters. They treat the recirculated cabin air only in order to remove some of the odors and volatile organic compounds (VOC). The HEPA filters are also effective eliminating airborne microorganisms, dust, fibers, and allergens.

Keywords
Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine

Notes
Output Status: Forthcoming/Available Online

Journal
Archivos de Bronconeumología

People

Dr Susan Michaelis

Honorary Senior Research Fellow, Health Sciences Stirling