Schiphol wants to gain more knowledge about ultrafine particles at airports. There is a lot we still do not know, including how many employees are exposed to ultrafine particles, how often that occurs and what the impact is on their health.
That is why we have commissioned various studies into ultrafine particles at and around the airport and why we are participating in follow-up studies. With these new insights we can get to work in an even more targeted way.
What are these studies? What do we know so far?
Schiphol, KLM, ground handling companies and main contractors at the airport commissioned a study into employee exposure to particulate matter in aircraft and diesel engine emissions. The Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS, part of Utrecht University) and The Netherlands Expertise Center for Occupational and Respiratory Disorders measured people’s exposure to several substances.
The purpose of the research was to gain more insight into emissions from aircraft and diesel engines in order to take targeted measures. The study specifically looked at ten different job groups, classified according to job content and location of the work. Individual particulate matter measurements were taken over a span of 23 days in August and September 2023. To do that, measuring devices were attached to the clothing of employees with different work duties on airside.
Read more about the study and results here (in Dutch).
The results of this exposure study confirm that, with our Action Plan, we are on the right track to reduce the exposure of employees to aircraft and diesel engine emissions. We will continue to do this vigorously, in line with our goal that everyone at Schiphol has a safe and healthy workplace.
This summer, Schiphol is starting a study into different types of respiratory protection. FFP2 masks are not an ideal solution for every employee. Some are bothered by it while working and for others (e.g. employees with a beard) it does not fit properly nor protect adequately. That’s why, in 2023, we started conducting research into personal respiratory protection. Several employees are testing various masks while they are at work and then giving their opinion on them. The pilot will be concluded at the end of September 2023. Then we will know which masks are most suitable for which jobs. And we can properly determine which mask is most suitable for which employee in which function to prevent exposure to ultrafine particles as much (as reasonably) as possible.
In 2023 we are conducting several experiments to filter ultrafine particles from the air. We have tested an innovative device that purifies ultrafine particles from the air and blows clean air into a room. This test showed that this is possible in rooms adjacent to the apron where doors are often open. We will be carrying out further tests.
We are going to test blowing clean air onto the apron using fans. We will be investigating whether we can remove ultrafine particles from the areas where people work this way.
Schiphol is investigating whether mist, already a proven method in construction, can reduce the spread of ultrafine particles in the air. When mist droplets bind to ultrafine particles, they become heavier and fall to the ground. A test using mist against ultrafine particles has already been carried out. We learned that this method has potential, but also that too many factors are still at play to be able to draw final conclusions. The trial will be followed up before summer 2023, in a controlled environment, so that we can draw a reliable conclusion. We are doing this together with NLR, within the European sustainability initiative TULIPS. If expectations are confirmed, the next step is to test this further at a regional airport. It may be several years before we see this in daily practice at airports.
There will be a large-scale exposure study on aircraft engine emissions in summer 2023. This will be conducted by an independent party. The measurements will be taken for various functions on the apron.
This concerns the detection of medical conditions potentially related to ultrafine particle exposure. Central to this research is the Periodic Occupational Health Examination (PAGO). An independent medical research institute will prepare questions and/or medical tests related to the effects of ultrafine particles and these will be added to the PAGO. We will initiate the modified PAGO before the summer of 2023.
We are preparing the roll-out of a structural measurement network. From next year, this will give us more and longer-term insight into ultrafine particle emissions and the impact of measures. In the short term, we will be equipping two gates on Pier D with 18 measuring sensors so that we can already gain as much knowledge as possible in our living lab.
The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) has conducted research into the health effects of long-term exposure to ultrafine particles in the area around Schiphol. The study showed that exposure to ultrafine particles, emitted by aircraft around Schiphol, may have an adverse effect on the cardiovascular system and the development of the foetus.
There is no evidence that long-term exposure to ultrafine particles causes respiratory diseases. Existing conditions may be temporarily aggravated as a result of short-term exposure. There is as yet insufficient evidence of effects on the nervous system and metabolism (diabetes). No evidence has been found of effects on overall mortality.
Schiphol is investigating whether mist can reduce the spread of ultrafine particles at airside. Mist is sprayed close to the source of the ultrafine particles – an aircraft that turns on its engines, for example – and the idea is for these particles to bind together. When mist droplets bind to ultrafine particles, they become heavier and fall to the ground. As a result, the particles can no longer disperse and employees will no longer breathe them in. Mist is already a proven method against dust and particulate matter in the construction industry. Schiphol is investigating whether this technology can be applied to ultrafine particles in aviation.
At the start of 2022, the aviation sector, FNV (on behalf of the unions), the Dutch government and research institutions initiated a joint approach to tackle ultrafine particle emissions and local air quality at Schiphol. This taskforce will be led by an independent chairperson.
The parties will focus on researching, developing and implementing solutions. They will also set up and carry out research into exposure and health effects among employees. A validation committee of scientists with expertise in work and health will review the research and solutions.
Schiphol commissioned TNO to conduct research into the concentration of ultrafine particles around the terminal and piers. An average of 100,000 to 120,000 particles per cubic centimeter were measured.
TNO fitted two vans out with special measuring equipment. One was driven by marshallers who were carrying out their routine work, the other was used to take measurements at locations where the concentrations were expected to be highest. The staff was also free to find locations to take measurements at their own discretion. These measurements say nothing about what individual Schiphol employees are exposed to. This requires additional research, including how long tasks on and outside the apron take and the exact location where the work is done. We are currently working on setting up and commissioning research into employee exposure and health.
Thanks to TNO’s research, we now know more about the levels of ultrafine particles at Schiphol. It appears that the ultrafine particles are most elevated around the terminals and piers. This gives us insight into the specific locations where we need to take action as a matter of priority.
In 2021, the Dutch Health Council published their advice concerning the impact of ultrafine particles on health. This was based on American research into the effects of short and long-term exposure to ultrafine particles. There are indications of adverse effects on the cardiovascular system and the respiratory tract in the event of short-term exposure to ultrafine particles. Long-term exposure increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. There is also evidence of an increased risk of developing respiratory diseases and of a negative influence on the growth of a fetus. There is less evidence for the harmful effects of ultrafine particles on health compared to particulate matter and nitrogen oxides, but according to the Health Council there is still sufficient ground for taking additional measures.
According to the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), people living in the vicinity of Schiphol are regularly exposed to elevated levels of ultrafine particles. This can have short-term effects on health. Short-term reductions in lung function were measured in children and healthy adults and short-term reductions in heart function were measured in healthy adults in the event of temporary higher exposure.
These effects are the result of ultrafine particles from air traffic and other sources, such as road traffic. No evidence was found that the health effects from air traffic differ from those of road traffic.
Schiphol is a member of the RAPTOR project advisory board. This European project was launched in 2019 and in it organisations from various countries work together to share knowledge about ultrafine particles in aviation. Other participants from the Netherlands are TNO and the National Institute for Health and the Environment (RIVM).
The aim is to gain more insight into the composition of the various types of ultrafine particles and their impact on health. This helps to improve the model used to calculate the emissions of ultrafine particles from aircraft engines.
The air quality work group at ACI Europe, the association of European airports, published a report on ultrafine particles in November 2018. Schiphol made a contribution to this report.
RIVM measurements showed that the concentration of ultrafine particles is higher around Schiphol as a result of air traffic. As the distance from the airport site increases, the concentration of ultrafine particles decreases. At about fifteen kilometers from the airport, the contribution from aviation is approximately 20 percent of what it is directly next to the airport site. The limited data available in the scientific literature show that the amounts of ultrafine particles around Schiphol are comparable to those at other international airports.
With the knowledge currently available, we cannot say if and to what extent exposure to fine particles may cause additional health effects in the vicinity of Schiphol.