Concerns about toxic fumes affecting health of airline staff and passengers
Toxic fumes and radiation on Australian airlines spark cancer concerns among crew – and passengers ‘aren’t always warned‘ Mail Online,
- Report by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau says toxic fumes have been pumped out more than 1000 times over the past five years
- Former pilot who collapsed from aerotoxic syndrome blames chemicals on BAe146 aircraft for making her sick
- Airline staff are seeking legal action over brain and breast cancer links
- Flight attendant Brett Vollus has been diagnosed with a brain tumour
By SARAH DEAN, 26 May 2014 and crew to chemicals more than 1000 times over the past five years, it has been claimed.And customers aboard flights are not always about the dangers, a report by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau has revealed.
Some airline staff are seeking legal action over fears that the fumes and exposure to radiation could be leading to an increased risk of brain and breast cancer……….
Susan Michaelis is now head of research at the Global Cabin Air Quality Executive and says her research has found clusters of cancer and neurological problems among flight crew. ‘There is a pattern of chronic ill-health… and it needs to be looked at further,’ Ms Michaelis told News.com.
The report named the BAe146 aircraft as one of the worst offenders for fume emission, although no individual airlines have been singled out.Independent analysis of the ATSB figures shows the Boeing 767 also had 123 fumes exposures from less than 20 planes between 2008 and 2013.
………In December 2013, five flight attendants who have developed Parkinson’s – including Mr Vollus – contacted law firm Turner Freeman to ask about taking legal action against the Commonwealth government.
They want to know more about the links between Parkinson’s and the spraying of insecticides on flights in line with World Health Organisation guidelines to prevent the spread of potentially deadly mosquito-borne viruses.
Turner Freeman lawyer Tanya Segelov told the Sydney Morning Herald: ‘When Brett was diagnosed, his neurologist asked him what he did, and he said he worked for Qantas, and his response was: “Oh, another one,”‘
‘We have now had four more long-haul flight attendants come forward this morning, and I think we are going to see more and more people coming out of the woodwork.’
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