Nation’s First Airplane Cabin Air Quality Standard Published

ATLANTA – Summer travel season has now officially kicked off. Millions
of people make conscious choices about which airline they choose, how
much they are willing to pay for a ticket, and of course about their
destinations. But one aspect of air travel that consumers may not
think about is one that can have an impact on their health and how
they feel.

            Proper air quality is essential for general health and
well-being in indoor spaces. Recognizing this, most people will take
steps to address air quality in their homes and workplaces, but what
about when on board an airplane when passengers have no control in a
very high-density environment?
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning
Engineers (ASHRAE) addresses air cabin air quality in its new Standard
161-2007, Air Quality Within Commercial Aircraft. The standard, which
covers issues such as temperature, cabin pressure, air contaminants
and ventilation rates, can be voluntarily adopted by individual
airlines or the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), or advocated
for by airline passenger and employee groups.

          “Compliance with this standard will go a long ways toward
ensuring good air quality for passengers and crews,” says Byron Jones,
chair of the committee that wrote the standard. “Aircraft passengers
and crew make up a wide cross section of the general population,
ranging from the very young to the very old, from the healthy to
infirm. And unlike many other indoor environments, occupants do not
have the ability to remove themselves from the environment, which is
at a lower pressure and relative humidity than that found in many
other environments. Standard 161 will help create a healthier, more
enjoyable ride for the great variety of passengers on board.”

The standard also addresses chemical, physical and biological
contaminants that could affect air quality as well. Methods of testing
are provided for ensuring compliance with the standard’s requirements.
Standard 161 applies to commercial passenger air-carrier aircraft
carrying 20 or more passengers. It is intended to apply to all phases
of flight operations and to ground operations when the aircraft is
occupied by passengers or crew members.

The cost of Standard 161-2007, Air Quality Within Commercial Aircraft,
is $54 ($43 members). To order, contact ASHRAE Customer Service at
1-800-527-4723 (United States and Canada) or 404-636-8400 (worldwide);
fax 404-321-5478; or visit www.ashrae.org/bookstore.

ASHRAE, founded in 1894, is an international organization of 50,000
persons. ASHRAE fulfills its mission of advancing heating,
ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration to serve humanity and
promote a sustainable world through research, standards writing,
publishing and continuing education.

www.ashrae.org

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