Related
E+T Magazine

High concentrations of tiny particles released when aviation jet fuel is burnt pose a serious health risk to 52 million people living around Europe’s busiest airports.

When jet fuel burns, particularly during take-off and landing, it releases ultrafine particles (UFPs), which are approximately 1,000 times smaller than a human hair.

These particles are able to penetrate deeply into the human body and have been found in the blood, brain and placenta.

Yet there is no regulation on safe levels of UFPs in the air and how exposure to them can affect human health.

A new study by Transport & Environment (T&E), a Brussels-based NGO, found that a total of 280,000 cases of high blood pressure, 330,000 cases of diabetes, and 18,000 cases of dementia could be linked to UFP emissions among the 52 million people – more than 10% of Europe’s total population – who live within a 20km radius of the 32 busiest airports in Europe.

The study also found that those living within a 5km radius of an airport...

Click here to read the full article

Parents

  • It is very difficult in medical science to prove "absolutely" cause and effect for illnesses like Dementia (long term development cycle), high blood pressure or diabetes.

    I recommend that you download and read "Health Impacts of Aviation UFP emissions in Europe" by CE Delft, where you will discover a lot of "could or maybe" statements

    Peter Brooks

    Palm Bay 

Comment

  • It is very difficult in medical science to prove "absolutely" cause and effect for illnesses like Dementia (long term development cycle), high blood pressure or diabetes.

    I recommend that you download and read "Health Impacts of Aviation UFP emissions in Europe" by CE Delft, where you will discover a lot of "could or maybe" statements

    Peter Brooks

    Palm Bay 

Children
  • in reply to Peter Brooks

    From first glance it looks a good read. It puts UFP into the context of the wider range of pollutants from burning fuels. Anyone who doubts the importance of air quality in relation to human health will find it instructive. In attempting to tease out the quantitative impact of UFPs in particular on specific indications, they have to be cautious. I hope it does not take as long as it did for lead in petrol for genuine hazards to be addressed. See pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/.../

Join us to get the best from IET EngX.

Joining EngX lets you personalise your experience so you stay up to date on the topics that interest you, plus you’ll be able to make connections who are looking to collaborate, exchange ideas and more.

Join us Not now

Community Rules & Guidelines