28. Is Plane Air Safe to Breathe?
The thought of contracting airborne viruses is something we’d perhaps prefer to ignore while traveling by plane. However, questions about the effectiveness of cabin ventilation systems are definitely something we’ve all wondered about amid the coughs and sneezes in the cramped enclosure.
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Despite the rare horror stories, it turns out that plane air is relatively clean. What you are breathing, though, is air from the engine’s compressors (not the engine’s exhaust). What’s known as the “bleed air” system combines recirculated and fresh breathable air. Basically, it’s pretty akin to the air found in an average office.
