NHS Direct search: organophosphate poisoning (result: zilch)
Are you suffering mood swings, feeling grotty, got brain fog and been flying recently? It could be down to organophosphate poisoning from the air conditioning system on the plane – a flaw to which all commercial jetliners are susceptible.
But search for organophosphate poisoning on NHS Direct and the result will be:
Nothing found.
Oh well, organophosphate (OP) poisoning can’t exist then…
Try telling that to sheep dipping farmers. The Government acknowledged the danger posed to sheep farmers by organophosphates and banned them. But it didn’t go as far as admitting that organophosphates had been responsible for the coincidental symptoms of mood swings, feeling terrible, befuddlement and much worse suffered by sheep farmers in the 1990s.
It’s all to do with money and liability. Some things just cannot be admitted – not ever.
And then – all to inconveniently – along came airline pilots who also showed signs of having been poisoned by organophosphates.
Aerotoxic Syndrome
Many pilots had fallen victim to aerotoxic syndrome, a condition that results when noxious fumes (containing organophosphates) from the jet engines enter the aircrew and passenger cabins. This is known as a "fume event".
The response from airlines was categoric denial that the pilots had a measurable physical illness. Yet not only are organophosphates used in jet aircraft oil as an anti-wear additive, but organophosphates have been found in pilots’ blood and fat.
Despite all the evidence to the contrary, the airlines continue to imply that aerotoxic syndrome is all in the pilots’ heads.
The worst of it is, millions of innocent airline passengers are also being exposed to organophosphates, and they’re getting sick too.
Yet the term "organophosphate poisoning" doesn’t appear on the NHS web site.
Symptoms like mood swings, which often result after exposure to organophosphates during a flight, are put down to individual weaknesses and psychiatric problems. The remedy being more drugs and more money for the chemical companies. Neat.
Aren’t the Government meant to represent the best interests of the public – health over wealth?
Not on this one. The Health Protection Agency (HPA) should be renamed the Wealth Protection Agency (WPA). Because that is their actual function.
Tests
Clearly, tests need to be done on the air in jetliners to see if it contains organophosphates. In fact, the Government claims it is doing this as a matter of urgency – having commissioned Cranfield University to conduct tests.
But after two years all we know is that traces of organophosphates were found on two random airline flights. This was revealed on the BBC Panorama documentary Something In The Air.
Many pilots and air passengers have been involved in full blown "fume events", where smoke actually fills the cabin. You can only imagine how organophosphate monitors would react in such a situation. The results would likely be too awful for public consumption.
Ironically, detectors aren’t used on everyday flights just in case they go off!
Inconvenient illness
Any mother with a young child, who has been exposed to a fume event on a flight, might later visit NHS Direct and search for "smoke fumes" in relation to flying. But she would only find reference to tobacco smoke fumes – 34,600 results.
A search for "aerotoxic syndrome" brings no results at all. Yet search Google for "aerotoxic syndrome" and you get 3,200 results.
Clearly, aerotoxic syndrome is an "inconvenient illness" for the UK Government and airlines – which is why there are no entries on NHS Direct. They would rather you didn’t know about organophosphates and flying.
Tags: healt protection agency, nhs direct
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