University of New South Wales - School of Risk and Safety Sciences

The Aerotoxic project is an occupational toxicology research project that has become a research project in its own right at UNSW. The issue of toxic exposures in aviation developed in the late 1990s, as aviation air quality had emerged as an occupational health and aviation safety issue (particularly in respect of health problems arising from oil and hydraulic fluid entering the ventilation system of the flight deck and passenger cabin of commercial aircraft (that is, bleed air contamination). This issue has been examined in the 1999–2000 Australian Senate Inquiry into cabin air safety in the BAe 146.

The term aerotoxic syndrome was proposed in 1999 to describe the association of symptoms observed amongst flight crew such as pilots and flying officers or cabin crew such as flight attendants, cabin managers exposed to hydraulic or engine oil vapours or mists.

Research at UNSW has focused on a number of areas:

Toxicity of jet oils;
Survey of affected flight crew;
Estimation of rates of jet oil leaks on aircraft;
Evaluation of the aviation air quality literature.

Recent publications include:

EDITED PROCEEDINGS

Winder, C., editor. Proceedings of Contaminated Air Protection Conference, Imperial College, London, 2005. Reports in Safety and Environmental Sciences. British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA)/UNSW, Sydney pp 1-296, 20-21 April 2005 ISBN 0-7334-2282-9.

CHAPTERS

Winder, C., Michaelis, S. Aircraft air quality malfunction incidents: Causation, regulatory, reporting and rates. In: Hocking, M., editor, Air Quality in Airplane Cabins and Similar Enclosed Spaces. Handbook of Environmental Chemistry 4: 211-228 2005.

Winder, C., Michaelis, S. Crew effects from toxic exposures on Aircraft. In: Hocking, M., editor, Air Quality in Airplane Cabins and Similar Enclosed Spaces. Handbook of Environmental Chemistry 4: 229-248 2005.

PEER-REVIEWED PAPERS

Winder, C., Fonteyn, P., Balouet, J.-C. Aerotoxic syndrome: A descriptive epidemiological survey of aircrew exposed to in-cabin airborne contaminants. Journal of Occupational Health and Safety – Australia and New Zealand 18: 321-338, 2002.

Winder, C., Balouet, J.-C. The toxicology of commercial jet oils. Environmental Research 89: 146-164, 2002.

Winder, C., Balouet, J.-C. Symptoms of irritation and toxicity in air crew as a result of exposure to airborne chemicals in aircraft. Journal of Occupational Health and Safety - Australia and New Zealand 17: 471-483, 2001.

PRESENTATIONS

Winder, C. Keynote Address: Hazardous chemicals on jet aircraft: Case Study – Jet engine oils. Winder, C., editor Contaminated Air Protection Conference: Proceedings of a Conference, held at Imperial College, London, 20-21 April 2005. BALPA/UNSW, Sydney pp 8-36, 20-21 April 2005.

Balouet, J.-C.,† Winder, C. Effects of combined exposure to vapours and oils mists at altitude. Proceedings of the Colloque International Poussieres, Fumees et Brouillards sur les Lieux de Travail: Risques et Prevention ISSA, Toulouse, France, 11-13 June 2001.

Winder, C.† Health and safety: Misconceptions in the aviation industry. Emerging Technologies for the New Millenium, Proceedings of the 72nd Annual Scientific Meeting of the Aerospace Medical Association Scientific Meeting, Reno, Nevada, USA AsMA, Alexandria, VA Abstract 347, 112, 6-10 May 2001.

Balouet, J.-C., Winder, C.† Exposure to toxicants at altitude and the associated toxicity ioncreases. Proceedings of the Colloque International Poussieres, Fumees et Brouillards sur les Lieux de Travail: Risques et Prevention ISSA, Toulouse, France, 11-13 June 2001.