Cancer charities call for general aviation small planes to stop…
While the kerosene used in the engines of commercial planes, or most private jets, does not contain lead, the AvGas (aviation gasoline) fuel used by the light planes used in “general aviation” – ie. largely hobby flying – does contain tetraethyl lead. There are 134 recreational, general aviation, airfields in the UK. There is the fear that the little piston-engine aircraft using these airfields are emitting lead, which is causing air pollution in the area. Ministers have been urged by cancer charities to follow the US and EU with plans to ban the lead-based fuel, by 2030 and 2025 respectively The charities (Breast Cancer UK and the Cancer Prevention and Education Society, as well as Green Alliance) say the UK is in danger of “falling behind international standards” because it has left the EU’s system for regulating potentially harmful chemicals, UK REACH. Lead accumulates in the body, and there is no safe level of exposure. It has been banned from use in car fuel since 2000. There may be over 370,000 homes within 4km of general aviation airports, which may have unacceptable levels of lead pollution. .Tweet Aeroplane hobbyists putting thousands at risk of cancer thanks to lead-based fuel Anyone living within four kilometres of UK’s 134 recreational aerodromes could be breathing in harmful emissions By Tony Diver, WHITEHALL CORRESPONDENT (The Telegraph) 10 January 2023 Aeroplane hobbyists are putting a third of a million households at risk
