Air passengers exposed to extremely high levels of ultrafine particle pollution, study finds | Pollution

A study revealed the concentrations of ultrafine particles breathed by airline passengers.

A team of French researchers, including those from Paris Cité University, built a pack of instruments that was transported alongside passengers from Paris Charles de Gaulle to European destinations. The machines were placed on an empty seat in the front rows or in the galley.

Ultrafine particles are impossible to see and are often missed by conventional monitoring techniques. They are therefore not covered by air pollution laws.

In 2021, the Dutch Health Council and the World Health Organization (WHO) highlighted the growing evidence that ultrafine particles harm our health. This includes 75 studies, mainly looking at lung inflammation, blood pressure and heart problems, as well as risks to fetal growth. However, technical differences between the studies meant the WHO was unable to set a standard. Since then, a study of nearly 11 million people in the Netherlands has found that exposure to ultrafine particles over several years was linked to early deaths, including from lung cancer.

There was good news for air passengers. Ultrafine particle pollution in the cabin was very low when the planes were at cruising altitude in relatively clean air. But on the pitch, it was another matter. In the new study, the highest concentrations of ultrafine particles were measured when passengers were boarding and when the plane was taxiing. On average, levels were more than double what the WHO defines as high. This polluted air was gradually exhausted from the cabin once in flight, but increased again as landing approached, likely due to high concentrations near flight paths and downwind of airports. This trend was also seen at destination airports.

The situation was similar for black carbon or soot particles. These were also greater when the plane was at an airport.

This is a major concern, given that the number of global air passengers is expected to exceed 5 billion this year for the first time. Airplanes remain relatively polluting, poorly controlled compared to road traffic and industry.

A separate review of health studies found a lack of research on the effect of air pollution breathed by more than 2 million civilians and military personnel who work at airports around the world.

Charles de Gaulle’s ultrafine particles are not only breathed in by people at the airport but also spread to neighboring communities. The concentration 1 km from the airport was similar to that a few meters from the busy Paris ring road. At London Gatwick, ultrafine particles around 500 meters from the perimeter fence were more numerous than those near the busiest roads in central London.

Ultrafine particles from Charles de Gaulle could be detected more than 5 km away. In London, ultrafine particles from Heathrow could be detected in west and central London, meaning they are being breathed by millions of people.