The project

The over-arching objective of the research is to ascertain potential safety and health risks resulting from the contamination of bleed air in both “CAC-event” and routine flight conditions.

Specifically, the work will provide:

A reliable characterisation of the chemical emissions resulting from oil-related fume events. The contaminated air samples will be subjected to a wide spectrum chemical analyses, with special attention to the potentially hazardous organophosphate compounds (OPCs) due to their potential neurotoxicity;
An identification of potential health effects that might evolve from exposure to contaminated cabin air. The toxicological screening will involve the effects of mixtures;
A strategy for simulating CAC-events. Given their rarity it would be prohibitively expensive to conduct a monitoring campaign on sufficient flights to capture a CAC-event. Here we will investigate a strategy of contaminating compressed and heated air, representative of the temperature and pressure conditions in the engine where the core flow enters the bleed air system;
Toxicological risk assessment methodology for decision-support relating to cabin air quality;
A CAC-risk mitigation strategy aimed at reducing the likelihood of CAC-risks and their effects.

Initiated by

Transport directly affects everyone in Europe. Whatever age we are, and whatever activities we undertake, transport and mobility play a fundamental role in today’s world. The aim of the Commission is to promote a mobility that is efficient, safe, secure and environmentally friendly and to create the conditions for a competitive industry generating growth and jobs. The issues and challenges connected to this require action at European or even international level; no national government can address them successfully alone. The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport works in concert with the European Union Member States, European industry, citizens and stakeholders.

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The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) was established in 2002. With its headquarters in Cologne, the agency comprises over 800 aviation experts and administrators. One of the key missions of EASA is to ensure the highest common level of safety protection for EU citizens; as well as this, EASA strives to ensure the highest common level of environmental protection.

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