Threat of nut allergic reactions from air on planes has been overblown

There isn’t any robust proof that folks with peanut allergic reactions are vulnerable to a extreme response from others consuming peanuts and the allergens circulating by the air whereas on board a airplane. The identical is predicted to be true for different kinds of nuts and meals that individuals are generally allergic to.

Individuals with meals allergic reactions might expertise signs resembling rashes, nausea and breathlessness after being uncovered to allergens by consuming, pores and skin contact or inhalation. In extreme instances, this may trigger a life-threatening response referred to as anaphylaxis, which may result in swelling of the throat, dizziness and extra severe respiration difficulties.

Some airways have banned the sale of nuts on flights and their workers make bulletins asking passengers to not eat them in the event that they know somebody on board has an allergy.

To discover the proof behind the inhalation danger, Paul Turner at Imperial Faculty London and his colleagues centered on peanuts, reviewing the outcomes of 5 research.

One research appeared for peanut particles in air samples throughout a business flight the place the snack was being served. The researchers discovered none in practically all of the samples they collected. That’s as a result of these plane have filters that take away peanut particles within the air earlier than they unfold by the cabin, says Turner.

The exception was air samples collected instantly round tray tables the place peanuts have been being consumed, however these allergens have been at such low ranges that they might in all probability be inadequate to trigger an allergic response, says Turner.

4 different research checked out airborne allergen ranges as folks ate or shelled peanuts, both of their houses or a lab. They equally discovered very low ranges of allergens inside about half a metre of somebody shelling or consuming peanuts. At most, this could trigger gentle allergic reactions, resembling watery eyes, says Turner.

However larger ranges of allergens have been discovered on seats, trays and the ground of the primary research’s plane. Wiping down these surfaces would in all probability take away a lot of the chance, says Turner, whose group is working with UK airways to make flying safer for folks with allergic reactions.

The identical outcomes would in all probability apply to different allergens, resembling different nuts, seafood and eggs, says Turner.

“This report summarises what has been effectively established for years, in that peanut is very unlikely to aerosolise and pose an airborne danger to passengers,” says Matthew Greenhawt on the College of Colorado.