Cabin air quality on non‐smoking commercial flights: A review of published data on airborne pollutants

Abstract

We reviewed 47 documents published 1967-2019 that reported measurements of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) on commercial aircraft. We compared the measurements with the air quality standards and guidelines for aircraft cabins and in some cases buildings. Average levels of VOCs for which limits exist were lower than the permissible levels except for benzene with average concentration at 5.9±5.5 μg/m 3 . Toluene, benzene, ethylbenzene, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, limonene, nonanal, hexanal, decanal, octanal, acetic acid, acetone, ethanol, butanal, acrolein, isoprene and menthol were the most frequently appearing compounds. The concentrations of SVOCs (Semi-Volatile Organic Compounds) and other contaminants did not exceed standards and guidelines in buildings except for the average NO2 concentration at 12 ppb. Although the focus was on VOCs, we also retrieved the data on other parameters characterizing cabin environment. Ozone concentration averaged 38±30 ppb below the upper limit recommended for aircraft. The outdoor air supply rate ranged from 1.7 to 39.5 L/s per person and averaged 6.0±0.8 L/s/p (median 5.8 L/s/p), higher than the minimum level recommended for commercial aircraft. Carbon dioxide concentration averaged 1,315±232 ppm, lower than what is permitted in aircraft and close to what is permitted in buildings. Measured temperatures averaged 23.5±0.8°C and were generally within the ranges recommended for avoiding thermal discomfort. Relative humidity averaged 16%±5%, lower than what is recommended in buildings.

Effects of increased recirculation air rate and aircraft cabin occupancy on passengers’ health and well-being – Results from a randomized controlled trial

“…With a constant total flow rate of 9.4 L/s per person for all experimental conditions matching the aviation standard ( ASHRAE Standard 161, 2007 ), the following target outside and recirculation air rates were aimed for with CO 2 levels on aircrafts from typically found mean levels (about 1200 ppm, Chen et al, 2021 ) to levels lower than but close to the regulatory limit (5000 ppm, e.g., FAA, 2019 ; EASA, 2019 ): Baseline condition, target CO 2 of 1200 ppm (termed ‘Baseline’): outside air rate of 5.2 l/s/person, recirculation air rate of 4.2 l/s/person. ASHRAE 161 condition, target CO 2 of 1650 ppm (termed ‘ASHRAE’): outside air rate of 3.5 l/s/person, recirculation air rate of 5.9 l/s/person.…”

“…Aircraft cabins present indoor environments with distinctive features. They are characterized by high occupant density, inability to leave the environment, low relative humidity, need for pressurization, and pollutants whose origin are predominantly passengers and their activities ( Chen et al, 2021 ). All of this can produce adverse health effects, such as dry mucus membranes, irritation of eyes, nose, and respiratory tract and associated symptoms, dizziness, fatigue, headaches, and sore throat, among others, which may continue even after the exposure (e.g., Cincinelli and Martellini, 2017 ; National Research Council, 2002 ; Zubair et al, 2014 ).…”

“…To sum up, although physical measurement of air quality in aircraft cabins has been the focus of numerous studies (e.g., Crump et al, 2011 ; Guan et al, 2014a , Guan et al, 2014b , Guan et al, 2015 ; Schuchardt et al, 2017 ; Chen et al, 2021 ) and there are a lot of studies researching health effects of IAQ in other settings (e.g. homes: Vardoulakis et al, 2020 ; schools: Baloch et al, 2020 ; work place: Spinazzè et al, 2020 ), the impact of air quality in terms of CO 2 and VOCs (as the two parameters most affected by increased recirculation air rates) on health, well-being, and comfort in aircrafts has been less often researched.…”

Oil Fumes, Flight Safety, and the NTSB

“…Since then, many studies and reports discuss the presence of airborne contaminants in cabin air and comment on whether the levels are "safe" or "acceptable" [40,[46][47][48]. "Acceptability" has more commonly been framed in the context of comparing aircraft data to published exposure limits for individual chemical constituents [16,40,49,50], although this approach is not without criticism [51,52].…”

Recent progress on studies of airborne infectious disease transmission, air quality, and thermal comfort in the airliner cabin air environment

“…They found large differences between the cabin air environment and buildings on the ground, such that the models for buildings cannot be used for airliner cabins. Chen et al 14 examined nearly 50 flights on commercial aircraft in terms of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). They found that the concentrations of VOCs were below the permissible levels, with the exception of benzene.…”