Unfiltered Breathed in: The Truth About Aerotoxic Syndrome

As the director of this documentary I feel the need to put a few things straight in regards to the "review" of jamesb, also known as Robert James Boser, self-proclaimed Editor in Chief of a webblog named "AirlineSafety.Com" and quite active on wikipedia.org in "altering" factual information that he dislikes.

Allegation no 1: "it really amounts to nothing more than a propaganda film for a fictitious "syndrome" that is not recognized in aviation medicine."

Wrong! 1. This is not "propaganda" its a film following proper and established journalistic principles and research not conducted a a desk but on sites all around the world and first hand witnesses and expert interviews. 2. the syndrome is not "fictitious" one unfortunately the injuries received by flight crew and passengers are very real and medically documented. There is an ongoing controversy among aviation medical personal about the term "aerotoxic syndrome" but exactly this is also reflected in our film and explained. Mr. Boser prefers to follow the opinion of a former BA head of the medical department who now is working on behalf of a major aircraft manufacturer as a medical adviser. This person and his opinions are also featured in our documentary.

Allegation no 2: "No valid scientific study has been able to establish that the air in modern airliner cabins has ever exceeded known toxic levels. The amount of toxic chemicals in aviation oil is way too low to cause a problem with human health, even if that oil leaked into the cabin air stream, which rarely ever happens."

Wrong ! There is overwhelming evidence of substances found within the blood and urine of affected flight crew after so called "fume events" that render such a statement a plain lie. All can be found at the supporting website to our film.

Allegation no 3: "The allegation that Richard Westgate died as a result of breathing cabin air is false. He died by his own hand, after consuming a toxic amount of an illegal drug."

Again wrong! We never made this allegation in the film, we never stated that he died of breathing cabin air. We documented that he was suffering from the effects of contaminated cabin air. If this made him commit suicide or if he took accidentally an overdose of a specific medication also serving as a severe painkiller if used carefully is not with us to judge. Therefore it is not correct nor appropriate for Mr. Boser to claim what he further stated about Mr. Westgate committing suicide. Exactly this is still subject of an official inquest under British law. Only at the end of this Court proceeding something in this regards may or may not be stated. Actually this statement by Mr. Boser may be regarded as "contempt of Court" as it is solely up to the Coronor in Charge and equaling a Judge instated by her Majesty the Queen to draw such a conclusion.

Allegation no. 4: "A 2013 study of 332 crew members who had reported fumes or odors during their last flight, was unable to detect metabolites of TCP in their urine samples. The conclusion of that study was that "...health complaints could not be linked to TCP exposure in cabin air." "

Wrong. We are very well aware of this particular study which was conducted by the insurance acting on behalf of German airlines and which is based on the PhD thesis of a lady called Barbara Schindler, written in German language. As I seriously doubt that Mr. Boser is capable of understanding German he also errs again in this regards. The thesis clearly states that the methodology used for the sampling mentioned before is not intended nor capable to detect "if the two isomers of cresyl-phosphate are absorbed, metabolized and segregated in urine". The author of the thesis concludes that "possibly the present concentrations are below the detection threshold of 1.0 μg/l and can therefor not be detected with this method."" The aforesaid study as well as Mr. Boser also fail to explain why 100 percent (meaning all!) the urine samples that were analyzed during this study were found positive for TBP, a chemical compound exclusively used in aircraft hydraulic fluids. - Well, never mind Cpt. Boser: to err is human!

Allegation no. 5: "There is no valid science to support the false claims made in this film." Wrong! There are plenty of peer reviewed and published scientific papers, available in every descent university library and some even throughout the internet by very renown scientist clearly stating that this phenomenon is not a hoax nor any unsustained "UFO-theory" .

Tim van Beveren journalist and director of UNFILTERED BREATHED IN