Manchester air disaster.

On 22 August 1985 a fire occurred on a Boeing 737 jet airliner at take off at Manchester Airport. One hundred and thirty seven passengers and crew were on board. Fifty two passengers died on the aircraft, 85 escaped. Most survivors had minor physical injuries, but 15 required admission to hospital because of smoke inhalation and two of these had severe burns. At presentation only one survivor required ventilation but within 12 hours a further five required ventilation. Although initially patients suffering from smoke inhalation may seem relatively well, lung function may deteriorate rapidly in the first 24 hours. Careful organisation and regular practice of procedures to deal with a major accident are essential to be able to respond adequately to such an event.     

Ionization of the air

Ionization of the air, both the natural and the artificial, underwent a thorough airing at the First International Conference. With the accent on the physical and biological properties of air ions, the clinical aspects and the therapeutic potentialities were, except for one paper, deliberately omitted. It was felt that at this time the basic problems were of greater importance in order to bring some order and restraint into the prevailing chaotic conditions. It was obvious to all participants that the practical results of the meeting exceeded all expectations but that much work still remains to be done before air ionization achieves full recognition and undivided scientific support.     

An indoor air model

Indoor aerobiological data sets are often difficult to handle because they are not easily related to climatic parameters similar to those found outdoors. However, in large buildings, where ventilation systems allow a systematic knowledge of air flows, the transfer of a power distribution model to airborne spore concentration can simplify the task of reaching a decision on contamination presence. The use of the absorption percentage of each component of the ventilation system (air intake, filters, cooling, humidification, air return) can identify abnormalities (i.e. concentrations not following the general expected model, which could mean contamination requiring action), permit direct cleaning, and allow the restoration of a normal state after a short period of time.