Conventional and Alternative Aviation Fuels: Occupational Exposure and Health Effects

摘要

The use of fossil fuels in aircraft over the last fewdecades has driven several studies on health effects due tooccupational exposure. Relatively recently, alternative fuel typeshave emerged, but their implications on the health of exposedworkers have not attracted proportional attention. In our paper, wereview both academic and gray literature about the health risksrelated to exposure to jet and alternative fuels. The literaturesuggests that, although the health effects on workers exposed toconventional fuels are concerning, there is no universally accepteddose−response relationship. The limited current research withanimals on alternative fuels indicates that these fuels have notresulted in a reduction of health risks. Overall, it seems that, whileaviation fuels are tested for efficiency and lower emissions, studieson health impacts in an occupational context have not been a priority. As occupational exposure to aviation fuels might increase dueto the growth of the aviation industry, it is essential to conduct further research on the effects of exposures to both conventional andalternative aviation fuels and ensure that the latter do not pose the same risks or even greater ones than those of conventional fuels.