Summary
The smaller size and lighter weight of the Boeing 747SP aircraft, introduced into passenger service in 1976, permitted higher-altitude flight than older commercial aircraft and thus potentially greater ozone exposure, for those on board. Concerned flight attendants distributed questionnaires relating to symptoms experienced on the Boeing 747SP and/or conventional 747 aircraft to Los Angeles- and New York-based flight attendants. Respondents reported symptoms by frequency and severity and by in-flight and after-flight occurrence. Based on the assessment of three health scientists as to ozone-relatedness, the frequency of “definite” and “probable” ozone-related symptoms of any severity reported by both groups of attendants was significantly associated with 747SP flights (chi-squares: P<0.05). After-flight symptoms significantly associated with 747SP experience, although fewer in number than in-flight symptoms, were all in the scientists' “definite” category. In 21 flight attendants who complained of moderate to severe symptoms during 747SP flights, a battery of pulmonary function tests performed approximately two weeks after their last 747SP flight failed to reveal abnormalities. The symptom questionnaire results are consistent with possible exposure of cabin attendants to toxic levels of ozone during the higher-altitude flights of the Boeing 747SP compared to conventional 747 aircraft.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bell KA, Linn WS, Hazucha M, Hackney JD, Bates DV (1977) Respiratory effects of exposure to ozone plus sulfur dioxide in Southern Californians and Eastern Canadians. Am Ind Hyg Assoc J 38:696–706
Bennett G (1962) Ozone contamination of high altitude aircraft cabins. Aerospace Med 33:969–973
Bils RF (1970) Ultrastructural alterations of alveolar tissue of mice: III. Ozone. Arch Environ Health 20:468–480
Bischof W (1973) Ozone measurements in jet airliner cabin air. Water, Air Soil Pollut 2:3–14
Brabets RI, Kersch CK, Klein MJ (1967) Ozone measurement survey in commercial jet aircraft J Aircraft 4:59–64
Buist AS, Ross BB (1973a) Predicted values for closing volumes using a modified single breath nitrogen test. Am Rev Respir Dis 107:744–752
Buist AS, Ross BB (1973b) Quantitative analysis of the alveolar plateau in the diagnosis of early airway obstruction. Am Rev Respir Dis 108:1078–1087
Castleman WL, Dungworth DL, Tyler WS (1973) Histochemically detected enzymatic alterations in rat lung exposed to ozone. Exp Mol Pathol 19:402–421
Castleman WL, Tyler WS, Dungworth DL (1977) Lesions in respiratory bronchioles and conducting airways of monkeys exposed to ambient levels of ozone. Exp Mol Pathol 26:384–400
DeLucia AJ, Adams WC (1977) Effects of 03 inhalation during exercise on pulmonary function and blood biochemistry. J Appl Physiol 43:75–81
Detels R, Rokaw SN, Coulson AH, Tashkin DP, Sayre JW, Massey FJ Jr (1979) The UCLA Population Studies of Chronic Obstructive Respiratory Disease. I. Methodology and comparison of lung function in areas of high and low pollution. Am J Epidemiol 109:33–58
Dosman J, Bode F, Urbanetti J, Martin R, Macklem PT (1975) The use of a helium-oxygen mixture during maximum expiratory flow to demonstrate obstruction in small airways in smokers. J Clin Invest 55:1090–1099
Dungworth DL, Castleman WL, Chow CK, Mellick PW, Mustafa MG, Tarkington B, Tyler WS (1975) Effect of ambient levels of ozone on monkeys. Fed Proc 34:1670–1674
Evans MJ, Johnson LV, Stephens RJ, Freeman G (1976) Cell renewal in the lungs of rats exposed to low levels of ozone. Exp Mol Pathol 24:70–83
Folinsbee LJ, Silverman F, Shephard RJ (1975) Exercise responses following ozone exposure. J Appl Physiol 38:996–1001
Folinsbee LJ, Horvath SM, Raven PB, Bedi JF, Morton AR, Drinkwater BL, Bolduan NW, Gliner JA (1977) Influence of exercise and heat stress on pulmonary function during ozone exposure. J Appl Physiol 43:409–413
Folinsbee LJ, Silverman F, Shephard RJ (1977) Decrease of maximum work performance following ozone exposure. J Appl Physiol 42:531–536
Folinsbee LJ, Bedi JF, Horvath SM (1980) Respiratory responses in humans repeatedly exposed to low concentrations of ozone. Am Rev Respir Dis 121:431–439
Freeman G, Juhos LT, Furiosi NJ, Mussenden R, Stephens RJ, Evans MJ (1974) Pathology of pulmonary disease from exposure to interdependent ambient gases (nitrogen dioxide and ozone). Arch Environ Health 29:203–210
Goldsmith JR, Nadel JA (1969) Experimental exposure of human subjects to ozone. J Air Pollut Control Assoc 19:329–330
Hackney JD, Linn WS, Mohler JG, Pedersen EE, Breisacher P, Russo A (1975a) Experimental studies on human health effects of air pollutants. II. Four-hour exposure to ozone alone and in combination with other pollutant gases. Arch Environ Health 30:379–384
Hackney JD, Linn WS, Law DC, Karuza SK, Greenberg H, Buckley RD, Pedersen EE (1975b) Experimental studies on human health effects of air pollutants. III. Two-hour exposure to ozone alone and in combination with other pollutant gases. Arch Environ Health 30:385–390
Hackney JD, Linn WS, Buckley RD, Hislop HJ (1976) Studies in adaption to ambient oxidant air pollution: Effects of ozone exposure in Los Angeles residents vs. new arrivals. Environ Health Perspec 18:141–146
Hackney JD, Linn WS, Karuza SK, Buckley RD, Law DC, Bates DV, Hazucha M, Pengelly L, Silverman F (1977a) Effects of ozone exposure in Canadians and Southern Californians. Evidence for adaptation. Arch Environ Health 32:110–116
Hackney JD, Linn WS, Mohler JG, Collier CR (1977b) Adaptation to short-term respiratory effects of ozone in men exposed repeatedly. J Appl Physiol 43:82–85
Hallett WY (1965) Effects of ozone and cigarette smoke on lung function. Arch Environ Health 10:295–302
Holdeman JD, Dudzinski TJ, Tieferman MW, Nyland TW (1978) NASA Global Atmospheric Sampling Program (GASP). Data report for tapes VL0010 and VL0012. NASA Tech Memo No 79061
Holt PG, Nulsen A (1975) Ozone hazard in UV isolation units. J Occup Med 17:186–188
Holub R, Morgan MS, Frank R (1978) Ozone-induced changes in arterial O2 saturation, pulmonary mechanics and distribution of ventilation in healthy man. Am Rev Respir Dis [Suppl] 117 (4):242(A), abstract
Kagawa J, Toyama T (1975) Effects of ozone and brief exercise on specific airway conductance in man. Arch Environ Health 30:36–39
Kerr HD, Kulle TJ, McIlhany ML, Swidersky P (1975) Effect of ozone on pulmonary function in normal subjects. An environmental-chamber study. Am Rev Respir Dis 111:763–773
Mellick PW, Dungworth DL, Schwartz LW, Tyler WS (1977) Short term morphologic effects of high ambient levels of ozone on lungs of rhesus monkeys. Lab Invest 36:82–90
Morris JF, Koski A, Johnson LC (1971) Spirometric standards for healthy nonsmoking adults. Am Rev Respir Dis 103:57–67
P'an AYS, Béland J, Jegier Z (1972) Ozone-induced arterial lesions. Arch Environ Health 24:229–232
Parent RA (1977) The toxicology of ozone. Presented at the Conference on Air Quality, Meteorology, and Atmospheric Ozone, University of Colorado, Boulder, Aug 5, 1977
Perkins PJ, Holdeman JD, Gauntner DJ (1978) Aircraft cabin ozone measurements determined from NASA Global Atmospheric Sampling Program (GASP) on B-747 and B-747 SP Aircraft. Correlations with atmospheric ozone, and ozone encounter statistics. NASA Tech Memo No 79060, 1978
Reed D, Glaser S, Kaldor J (1980) Ozone toxicity symptoms among flight attendants. Am J Ind Med 1:43–54
Silverman F, Folinsbee LJ, Barnard J, Shephard RJ (1976) Pulmonary function changes in ozone-interaction of concentration and ventilation. J Appl Physiol 41:859–864
Stephens RJ, Evans MJ, Sloan MF, Freeman G (1974a) Comprehensive ultrastructural study of pulmonary injury and repair in the rat resulting from exposures to less than one ppm ozone. Chest 65 [Suppl Part 1]:11S-13S
Stephens RJ, Sloan MF, Evans MJ, Freeman G (1974b) Early response of lung to low levels of ozone. Am J Pathol 74:31–44
Stephens RJ, Sloan MF, Evans MJ, Freeman G (1974c) Alveolar type 1 cell response to exposure to 0.5 ppm 03 for short periods. Exp Mol Pathol 20:11–23
Tashkin DP, Detels R, Coulson AH, Rokaw SN, Sayre JW (1979) The UCLA population studies of chronic obstructive respiratory disease. 11. Determination of reliability and estimation of sensitivity and specificity. Environ Res 20:403–424
US Dept Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration (1978) Airworthiness standards: Transport category airplanes. Airplane cabin ozone contamination. Fed Register 43(194):46034–46037 (Thursday, 10–5-78)
van Heusden S, Mans LGJ (1978) Alternating measurement of ambient and cabin ozone concentrations in commercial jet aircraft. Aviat Space Environ Med 49:1056–1061
von Nieding G, Wagner HM, Krekeler H, Löllgen H, Fries W, Beuthan A (1979) Controlled studies of human exposure to single and combined action of N02, O3 and SO2. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 43:195–210
Werthamer S, Schwarz LH, Soskind L (1970) Bronchial epithelial alterations and pulmonary neoplasia induced by ozone. Pathol Microbiol 35:224–230 (Pathologic et Microbiologia)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Tashkin, D.P., Coulson, A.H., Simmons, M.S. et al. Respiratory symptoms of flight attendants during high-altitude flight: Possible relation to cabin ozone exposure. Int. Arch Occup Environ Heath 52, 117–137 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00405416
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00405416