The recently held 'Aircraft Cabin Air Conference' in London has revealed a new jet engine oil that may reduce the hazard associated with the ongoing issue of contaminated breathing air on passenger aircraft.
At the recent conference, French engine oil manufacturer NYCO presented extensive research in their development of a new 'less hazardous' jet engine oil. The new oil now needs engine manufacturers such as Rolls-Royce, GE, Pratt & Whitney, IAE International Aero Engines, CFM, Honeywell and others to 'qualify' the oil so it can be used on the wide spectrum of jet engines used to power the estimated 25,000+ commercial passenger jet aircraft flying today.
GCAQE board member Captain Nicholas McHugh BSc(hon) stated: “We hope jet engine manufacturers will priortise the introduction of the reported new 'less hazardous' NYCO oil and any new oils that come to market that reduce the hazard for the aviation workers and passengers routinely exposed to engine oil and engine oil decomposition products on passenger aircraft. Government agencies responsible for aviation safety and public health should also be helping to expedite the introduction of these reported 'less hazardous' oils.”
The new antiwear additive used in the new NYCO oil was patented in 2021. The patent abstract stated:
'Disclosed is an oil that does not include tricresyl phosphate and includes as an anti-wear additive at least one diphosphorus compound for the prophylaxis of aerotoxic syndrome, especially in case of fume event. It also relates to a lubrication method utilizing such oil.'
The term Aerotoxic Syndrome was first proposed in 1999 to summarise the medical symptoms reported by aircrew and passengers exposed to hydraulic fluids, engine oil and engine oil decomposition products on aircraft when these compounds contaminated the breathing air supply.
Aircraft manufacturers have not accepted the term Aerotoxic Syndrome and repeatedly claim that the air on an aircraft is better than in a home, despite ignoring air accident department calls for all passenger aircraft to have contaminated air warning systems installed. Currently, despite calls from air accident investigators, no passenger aircraft has any technology to monitor the air quality of the air passengers and crews are being supplied to breathe from the engines.
