Public health impacts

Aviation is a major source of local air pollution, leading to significant public health impacts. Jet emissions can cause lung, throat, nasal, larynx and brain cancer, lymphoma, leukemia, asthma, and birth defects. Highly carcinogenic benzpyrene, a byproduct of jet fuel combustion attached to soot, can cause cancer and tumors in humans through lung and skin adsorption; these are deposited into the atmosphere across the United States at rates that far exceed safety limits on a daily basis.

Range of impacts

Jet emissions affect a 25 mile area around an airport. People, children, animals and plants are toxic crop dusted by jet emissions for 12 miles from a runway end. A typical commercial airport spews hundreds of tons of toxic and criteria pollutants into our atmosphere every day.  These drift over heavily populated areas and settle onto water bodies and crops.

Lack of oversight

Although EPA, FAA and airport sponsors have been made aware of the danger, risk for nearby communities and higher cancer rates around many of the nation’s airports, they continue to ignore the problem and allow aviation emissions to remain unregulated, uncontrolled and unreported.

Learn more:

• Air Pollution (Aviation Environment Federation)
• Aircraft Pollution (AReCO)
• The Plane Truth – Air quality impacts of airport operations…
• A Geospatial Analysis of the Effects of Aviation Gasoline on Childhood Blood Lead Levels
• More Recent Studies posted on (jetairpollution.com) for Concerned Residents Against Airport Pollution (CRAAP)