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British airlines is accused of exposing cabin crew to breathing in fumes mixed with engine oil and other toxic chemicals like TCP, an organophosphate known to be dangerous to human health in high enough quantities. But the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) says incidents of smoke or fumes on planes are rare and there is no evidence of long-term health effects.
Safety reports submitted to the CAA show that between April 2014 and May 2015 there were at least 251 separate incidents of fumes or smoke inside a large passenger jet operated by a British airline.
Pilot Richard Westgate died in December 2012, aged 43, after complaining of long-term health problems. The coroner said the body "disclosed symptoms consistent with exposure to organophosphate compounds in aircraft cabin air". A similar case is 34-year-old Matthew Bass who died in 2014.
Time to pack a gas mask when flying?
Original Submission
(Score: 2) by zeigerpuppy on Monday June 08 2015, @10:35PM
Inhalation of combustion byproducts is unlikely to be good for one's health.
Nevertheless, it's going to be hard to prove that there is a direct causal relationship.
The larger issue is that in modern cities we are exposing ourselves to a known and very damaging pollutant: diesel particulates.
Though the marketing about "clean diesel" worked, the true story is of a highly inflammatory mix of small particles that can move through the alveolar membrane.
This may be a major cause of elevated heart disease in modern societies.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080604114550.htm [sciencedaily.com]
But we're now in the desperate phase of oil scarcity so burning heavier, dirtier fractions seems all the rage.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by bob_super on Monday June 08 2015, @10:40PM
In less modern societies, you just lived in a permanent smog of chimneys, cooking fires, and candles...
I'll take the current option, even if my upwind neighbor is a bit addicted to his charcoal grill.