Air quality inside aircraft

[Dust Devil]

Do any companies out there routinely do air quality testing inside aircraft looking for traces of mold and that sort of thing?

[MrWings]

Nah. The exhaust and solar radiation at altitude will kill the mold.

[Dust Devil]

Nah. The exhaust and solar radiation at altitude will kill the mold.

Excellent! I'd hate to think I was putting my workers in an unsafe environment.

[Mig29]

Hehe
I'd worry more about radiation, but cabin pollution is up there as well on my 'list'...
I doubt they do buy, who am I...
anyone??

[flyincanuck]

I was reading something interesting in Air Canada's En Route mag. It was in the "Ask your Captain/FAQ section" a few monhts before Christmas. They were addressing cabin air freshness...and the cabin is flushed several times an hour. I don't remember the figures but they were high. I'm sure the question/answer was aimed to sooth the whole Swine Flu paranoia.

BA was or is studying the effects of solar radiation on its pilots.

[flyincanuck]

Its a pretty dry environment for mold to exist, no?

[Lakelad]

Excerpt from AC submission during the recent CTA "Nut Hunt":

"Air Canada explains that the recirculation filters in aircraft are similar to filters used in critical wards in hospitals and in industrial "clean rooms". The above-noted Airplane Cabin Environment paper submitted by Air Canada provides the examples of organ transplant and burn units in describing critical wards in hospitals. It submits that on measurement, the concentration of germs per cubic metre was found to be lower in an aircraft cabin than the recommended germ concentration in hospital operating theatres, new-born baby wards and intensive care wards. Air Canada explains that "in contrast", the filtration systems in a typical building are incapable of removing microbial contaminants including bacteria and viruses from recirculated air."

[cyxe]

Do any companies out there routinely do air quality testing inside aircraft looking for traces of mold and that sort of thing?

There are industrial hygiene companies that can do IAQ testing. You can also start by contacting OHS with the Ministry of Labour and request an IAQ kit...most ministries have one (which province are you in?) Although you probably fall under Federal OHS, not provincial, they still might let you borrow the kit. I don't think the federal counterpart has such kits to give out.

Mold is pretty unlikely unless you have a water damage problem in the interior of the aircraft. You can test for mold spores in the air but results can be unreliable.

[xsbank]

The one place that mold formation is possible, even likely is in the water-seperator in the pack. Also, the source of all breathing air is the 10th (or so) stage of the engine compressor, so all of it comes out of an engine.

[scopiton]

Also, the source of all breathing air is the 10th (or so) stage of the engine compressor, so all of it comes out of an engine.

right, and can lead to this, which is interesting. some aircrafts are more prone than others to have A/C contaminated
http://www.aerotoxic.org/

[Dust Devil]

The one place that mold formation is possible, even likely is in the water-seperator in the pack. Also, the source of all breathing air is the 10th (or so) stage of the engine compressor, so all of it comes out of an engine.

I was thinking more from the perspective of my ho's. We have had some instances where the seals around the pilot and co pilot windows haven't sealed properly. There is also other places for moisture to enter the airframe during heavy rain falls. Thus I believe the reason for small drain holes located in the belly of the aircraft. I've also been told that if your hangar has a mold issue (which I think mine does) the mold spores can infest anything that has been in the hangar.

I doubt very much my aircraft have it but I figured since I am investigating the air quality in the hangar I might do the aircraft as well and was just curious if any other companies have had similar concerns.