Becoming More Aware of Toxins In Our Environment

There are many sources of toxins that are not within our immediate ability to control. The Independent published an article today entitled "Toxic fumes on planes 'threaten thousands of passengers each year'". The article reports that scientific research has shown that fumes present in planes have rendered pilots incapable of flying their aircraft safely.

A technology is used in which hot air is taken from the engine, cooled down and then fed, without being filtered, into the plane's cabin and cockpit. Sometimes it becomes contaminated with engine oils containing many different chemicals. These enter the air in the entire plane and are breathed by passengers and crew alike.

At University College London in a study of 27 affected pilots, 26 of them were found to suffer chronic health problems, including fatigue, sleep difficulties, fluctuating gastrointestinal problems, numbness and tingling in fingers and toes, memory loss and word-finding difficulties. Some of them reported cognitive failures, such as the inability to retain numerical data, confusing information provided by air traffic control, and being unable to remember events such as whether the undercarriage had been raised or lowered.

These symptoms are typical of those experienced by many people with chemical sensitivity. In this case, it has taken the discovery of pilot illness, and their consequent inability to fly an airplane safely, to induce studies which, it would seem, should be a routine requirement before flight.

As increasing numbers of people report health difficulties with the large numbers of chemicals we encounter daily, hopefully much more will be done proactively, by industry and regulatory organizations, to monitor environments and products more rigorously.

There are many circumstances that result in exposures to chemicals we are unaware of. Many of these, as yet, have not been officially deemed unsatisfactory for our health and well-being. Our society leads us to take for granted that our welfare is factored into the sale and creation of technologies and products that we use. Air quality during routine and repeated flights is not something we would generally question or doubt.

Many people with MCS are unable to travel by plane. For someone suffering from the symptoms of multiple chemical sensitivity, it isn't possible to ignore the effects on their bodies that they experience in different environments. It's a natural result to question much more frequently whether the official standards are being set appropriately.

For someone who doesn't experience chemical sensitivities, reading such an article might seem less compelling from a personal viewpoint with regard to exposure to toxins. However, there are other factors it does well to consider. What happens to the pilots when they are no longer able to fly, even as passengers, without becoming ill? What if this happens to frequent flyers? What happens to people who live close to busy airports where such emissions into the environment are routine? What if the cumulative exposure to other chemicals of a similar nature makes a person more susceptible to problems in the future? What if that person is you or someone you love?The pilot mentioned in this article, who now becomes ill even when traveling as a passenger, can no longer go to work as a pilot in these circumstances. Like the airplane where passengers and employees are forced to breathe the air that is piped in, there are many environments we come across where the air quality cannot be controlled by the individual. Many people who are affected by chemicals drop off the radar screen of society because they become ill in many public places, including their workplaces.

Just as being aware of the effect of human activity on the environment is vitally important to the future welfare of our planet, so is the need for our society to become aware of what is happening to a sector of its population. As long as we remain ignorant of it, it's not possible to take action to better protect ourselves, and our loved ones, by making informed choices.