Atmospheric ozone levels encountered by commercial aircraft on transatlantic routes

Abstract

Temporal and spatial patterns in northern midlatitude atmospheric ozone levels measured outside the cabin by MOZAIC aircraft are investigated to consider trends in human exposure to ozone during commercial flights. Average and 1 h peak ozone levels for flights during 2000 to 2005 range from 50 to 500 ppb, and 90 to 900 ppb, respectively, for flights between Munich and New York ( N = 318), or Chicago ( N = 372), or Los Angeles ( N = 175). Ozone levels vary through the year as expected on the basis of known trends in tropopause height. Timing and amplitude of the mean annual cycle are consistent across routes. A linear regression model predicts flight average and 1 h peak levels that are, respectively, 180 ppb and 360 ppb higher in April than during October–November. High ozone outliers to the model occur in January–March in the western North Atlantic region and may be linked to episodic stratosphere-to-troposphere exchanges. No systematic variation in atmospheric ozone is observed with latitude for the routes surveyed. On average, ozone levels increase by 70 ppb per km increase in flight altitude, although the relationship between altitude and ozone level is highly variable. In US domestic airspace, ozone levels greater than 100 ppb are routinely encountered outside the aircraft cabin.

Keywords

• MOZAIC
• tropopause
• transportation
• exposure