The air that circulates in plane cabins is actually no more dangerous to a passenger's health than sitting in an office, new research has revealed.
Travelers often complain about picking up colds and viruses from flights. But medical experts in the U.S. attribute that achy sensation to the effects of lower oxygen and dry air inside a plane flying at 35,000ft.
According to a study by the National Research Council, an airplane is as likely to make you sick as any other enclosed environment, such as a cinema or an underground train. 'There is always an increased risk of infection whenever you enter a confined space, but an aircraft cabin is no worse an environment than the office you sit in every day,' said Dr Mark Gendreau, an aviation medicine expert.
He said cabin air was refreshed about 15 times an hour, compared with fewer than 12 times an hour in an office building. On most trans-Atlantic jets, the air is filtered through hospital-grade filters that are designed to remove 99.97 per cent of bacteria and the tiny particles that carry viruses. Cabins are also separated into ventilation systems covering every seven rows or so to limit the spread of germs through the plane.
Aircraft manufacturers admit the arid air on planes - necessary to prevent the fuselage from corroding - can cause humidity levels to dip below 10 per cent and make travel uncomfortable. But the next generation of planes are being made from composite materials that can withstand more humidity.
Shelley, APA
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