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“The airlines and the manufacturers want you to believe ‘fume events’ are no big deal, but toxic air in my workplace made me dangerously sick. Instead of addressing a real hazard, the industry gaslights passengers and aviation workers.”
Cher Taylor, AFA Frontier MEC Government Affairs Chair
Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA)
“Most aircraft are designed and operated to circulate cabin air through the aircraft engine. Engine oil and hydraulic fluid fumes can contaminate the ventilation air supplied to the cabin and flight deck. There are other aircraft air quality concerns, such as the cabin being too hot or too cold/drafty, stagnant ventilation zones, exposure to deicing fluid fumes, ozone gas, fuel fumes, and exhaust. But oil and hydraulic fluid fumes are especially toxic.
When oil or hydraulic fluid contaminates the air supply system, you will notice an unpleasant and unusual smell (“fumes”). Oil fumes are often described as smelling like “dirty socks,” or as being musty, moldy, or foul. Hydraulic fluid fumes often have a distinctive acrid odor. Both types of fumes can contain carbon monoxide gas. Exposure to carbon monoxide – especially inflight where the air contains less oxygen than on the ground – can cause acute symptoms like dizziness/fainting, headache, and slowed thought processes.”
https://afacwa.org/air-quality/
