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BY ROOPA CHARI, M.D. & DEEPAK CHARI AIR TRAVEL SAFETY – PART II WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF AEROTOXIC SYNDROME? Symptoms may occur for a short time after a flight or be long-lasting. and can include: Fatigue, Blurry vision, tremors, dizziness, memory impair- ment, headache, tinnitus, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, cough, shortness of breath, tightness of chest, increased heart rate and irritation of eyes, nose and airways and chronic fatigue. With repeated exposures to the chemicals, they may become more severe and long lasting. Many practitioners are not aware of the condition and so this often goes undiagnosed or it is linked with Chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, anxiety or stress. HOW DO YOU TREAT AEROTOXIC SYNDROME? If it is a mild case, the effects are normally reversible and will resolve themselves. If it is more severe involving neurological damage, there are specialists who could help with the recovery process. WHO CAN GET AFFECTED? The toxins mainly affect the central nervous system and it is hard to predict how a person may be affected. Some people may be better at detoxifying the contaminants and not get affected while others could be affected after one flight. Dr. Myhill stated that approximately 1/3 of the population are poor detoxifiers of organophosphates and these people will be more severely affected. She goes on to state, “Energy levels are markedly impaired, the brain does not work properly, one expects to see mood swings, irritability and psychiatric disor- ders.” Symptoms can be either short-lived or persist long-term and can occur a few days after the flight if there was a serious fume event. Dr. Myhill says that in most instances the cases are short- lived, however for the few susceptible individuals a long-term illness may be triggered. She states that the problem with organophosphates is that they accumulate in the body in the fatty tissues and cell membranes. WHAT TYPE OF AIRCRAFT ARE PRONE TO ENGINE OIL LEAKS? All jet aircraft are susceptible to fume events and have the potential to cause health problems leading to Aerotoxic Syndrome. Some aircraft have a strong history of fume events and Aerotoxic Syndrome including the Boeing 757. HOW OFTEN DO CONTAMINATED AIR EVENTS OCCUR? Official estimates range from 1 in 2000 flights (UK govern- ment’s Committee on Toxicity in 2007) to 1 in every 100 (British Airline Pilots Association) 2. WHAT IS THE SOLUTION? The quality of cabin air could be improved in aircraft by installing bleed air filters, which simply and inexpensively fil- ters the chemicals out of the air before it gets to the crew or passengers. In addition, airlines should use less toxic oil formu- lations that do not contain organophosphates. Finally toxic fume detectors should be installed to alert cabin crew when dangerous chemicals are building up in the air supply. WHAT AIRLINES ARE SAFER TO FLY? Wonderful news is that Boeing’s new 787 Dreamliner elim- inates any possibility of cabin air contamination by engine oil since cabin air is supplied by electrically-driven compressors. The air that supplies the cabin will come directly from outside rather than being fed from through the engines first. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is the first new aircraft in over 40 years to use non-bleed air technology and it will provide a clean supply of cabin air1. WHAT ARE SOME OTHER HEALTH HAZARDS WITH FLYING? According to an article in the Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News researchers from the University of California, San Francisco stated that full-body airport security scanners manufactured by Torrance-based Rapiscan Inc. exposes the skin to high radiation levels that could lead to cancer and other health problems. High risk groups include pregnant women, elderly and those with weakened immune systems. The researchers wrote in May 2010 to the White House Office of Science and Technology stating that the machines emit X-ray energy levels, the majority of which is delivered to the skin and underlying tissue at levels that may be dangerous- ly high. Travelers who do not wish to be screened can still opt for a full-body pat-down said Dr. Alex Garza, chief medical officer for the Department of Homeland Security. Researchers at UC San Francisco said that comparing the X-ray levels emitted from the machines to cosmic ray exposure during flights is “misleading3.” “Air travel cosmic rays are understood in terms of whole Black Meetings & Tourism July/August 2010: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 25