The article explores aerotoxic syndrome, which was discovered relatively recently. The authors of the study explain that toxic fumes are polluted air from aircraft. A substance that is added to aviation fuel to ensure engines wear less can lead to a variety of health-related consequences (Michaelis et al., 2017). Passengers breathe a mixture of usual air coming from outside, which is passed through filters, and air from engines that is pre-cooled but not filtered. These toxic fumes can cause serious health problems and complications. Contaminated air can cause nausea, dizziness, headache, trouble breathing, and can affect vision. The authors provide this background to push the reader to conclude that airline representatives should pay particular attention to the danger of this situation and to stress that additional research is needed.
In terms of the study design, the research team carried out two studies to detect a cause and effect relationship. The team investigated the circumstances of the emergence of the syndrome and symptoms observed in the participants. The researchers then categorized symptoms to find a correlation between the pressurized air environment and condition observed in study participants (Michaelis et al., 2017). The statistical analysis was not illustrative enough, given that only 274 pilots were taking part in the survey; therefore, additional research is needed to validate the data that were gathered. The authors concluded that “a clear cause and effect relationship has been identified linking the symptoms, diagnoses and findings to the occupational environment” (Michaelis et al., 2017, p. 198). Despite the limited number of participants, a clear association has been identified, which allows stating the argument made is strong enough and requires further investigation and validation.
Reference
Michaelis, M., Burdon, J., & Howard, C. V. (2017). Aerotoxic syndrome: A new occupational disease?Public Health Panorama, 3(2), 198-211.