Poison air fear grows as f light crews hit by toxins in blood Is the air in your holiday plane poisoning you?

TOXIC chemicals have been found in the blood of a number of airline crew members.

They were tested after complaining that flying made them ill.

Complaints by 140 flight attendants who believed they had suffered ‘fume events’ – when smoke or gases are leak inside the airliner – were tracked over three years.

In many cases chemicals called volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and organophosphates were found in blood and urine.

Scientists say this may have been a result of kerosene, oils or antifreeze used in the engines getting into the cabin air supply. In nearly all passenger planes, cabin air is taken from the engines.

Symptoms complained about include asthma, eye and nose irritation, feelings of nausea, headaches and numbness in the feet as well as memory problems.

The German research adds to fears that aero-toxic syndrome may be causing sickness in cabin crew and frequent fliers.

Earlier this year alone two flights taking off from the UK – one to the US and one to South Africa – had to turn back after reports of sickness among airline crew from suspected fumes in the cabin.

Dr Astrid Heutelbeck, from the University of Gottingen, who carried out the research, said that the compounds found in patients at her clinic were ‘unusual’ to find in blood.

She said: ‘From the results, I can see we have a problem and we can learn about these results to help us think about a solution.

‘We think it is a technical problem in the aeroplane, an accident, that makes this exposure to the chemicals possible.’

Chemicals found in the blood and urine samples taken by Dr Heutelbeck include tricresyl phosphate – a flame retardant used in plastics and rubbers.

Others include hexane, heptane, and octane, by-products of burning fuel. She said it was difficult to assess whether the levels were too high as it varied as to how long it had been after apparent exposure to fumes in the cabin before the patients arrived at the university’s hospital clinic.

Dr Heutelbeck’s findings will be presented to a scientific conference next month. Aero-toxic syndrome is becoming a matter of increasing concern to airlines.

Internal documents from the Civil Aviation Authority reported by the BBC showed there were 251 separate incidents of fumes or smoke inside a large passenger jet operated by British air carriers between April 2014 and May 2015.

Illness was reported in 104 cases, and on 28 flights oxygen was administered.

The Unite union, which represents 20,000 flight crew, is representing 60 crew members who allege they are suffering aero-toxic syndrome from flying. The union is also calling for a public inquiry into the dangers of fumes on aircraft.

The senior coroner for Dorset, Dr Stanhope Payne has taken the unusual step of voicing concerns about the death of British Airways pilot Richard Westgate, 43, who died in the Netherlands in 2012 after complaining of cognitive dysfunction and other conditions.

Tests found organophosphate compounds in his blood. Dr Payne has written to BA and the Civil Aviation Authority asking them to take action to reduce the risk to other staff. The coroner’s letter notes that there is no real-time monitoring to detect failures in cabin air quality. An inquest into Mr Westgate’s death is expected this year.

Unions have called for plane manufacturers to use separate air intakes for the cabin that do not draw air from the planes’ engines. Currently only the Boeing 787 does so.