Measurements of cabin and ambient ozone on B747 airplanes

Abstract

In response to recent concerns over possibly high ozone levels in the cabins of aircraft flying in the stratosphere, simultaneous measurements of the cabin and ambient ozone levels have been made as part of the NASA Global Atmospheric Sampling Program. Examples of the data taken on commercially operated Boeing 747-100 and 747SP airplanes are given for selected flights, together with summary statistics of over 5600 observations. Cabin ozone levels vary with the ambient level and, for unmodified aircraft, are higher on the 747SP than on the 747-100. Modifications to the ventilation system of the 747SP reduced cabin ozone levels by varying amounts up to a factor of 14.