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Ozone toxicity symptoms among flight attendants
American Journal of Industrial Medicine
|January 1, 1980
Summary
Flight attendants report ozone-toxicity symptoms more often on high-altitude flights. These findings suggest potential ozone-related health issues for airline crews, particularly concerning flight altitude and duration.
Area of Science:
- Aviation Medicine
- Environmental Health
- Occupational Health
Background:
- Persistent complaints of ozone-toxicity symptoms among commercial airline flight attendants (FAs) necessitate investigation.
- Previous research has not fully elucidated the extent of these symptoms or associated flight factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To survey flight attendants regarding ozone-toxicity type symptoms.
- To identify flight characteristics associated with these reported symptoms.
Main Methods:
- A survey involving self-reported questionnaires and flight diaries was administered.
- 1,330 flight attendants from three different airlines participated in the study.
Main Results:
- Ozone-toxicity symptoms were reported 3-4 times more frequently by FAs on high-altitude airlines compared to low-altitude airlines.
- Symptoms were significantly associated with flight altitude, duration, and aircraft type.
- Fatigue and stress symptoms were primarily linked to flight duration.
Conclusions:
- Indirect data suggest ozone-related health problems may affect a significant proportion of flight attendants.
- Flight altitude and duration are key factors associated with ozone-toxicity type symptoms in FAs.
- Further research is warranted to specifically implicate ozone and explore mitigation strategies.