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closeAircraft Air Quality
Posted by plosmedicine on 31 Mar 2009 at 00:00 GMT
Author: David Cherbonnier
Position: Engineer
Institution: DLC Engineering, Singapore
E-mail: dlc_engineering@yahoo.com
Submitted Date: September 16, 2006
Published Date: September 19, 2006
This comment was originally posted as a “Reader Response” on the publication date indicated above. All Reader Responses are now available as comments.
Aircraft air quality suffered with the ban on smoking.
Cabin air is provided by using engine bleed air and regulating its outflow. Nicotene and soot often fouled the outlet valves and required regular cleaning. Also the bleed air represented a albeit small, decrease in engine efficiency.
With the introduction of smoking ban the cabin air required less circulation (replacement) resulting in better efficiency and reduced fuel costs. The down side is that with less circulation the air became more stale and prolonged passenger exposure to airborne toxins.
Rather than reducing flights or passenger numbers, the solution lies in improving the air circulation methods without adversely affecting fuel efficiency.