The Sustainable Aviation Unit was formed in 2012 following the very successful workshop "“Inhalable toxic chemicals on board aircraft" (ITCOBA) organized on 11 October 2011 by Cranfield University (UK) and cosponsored by the Collegium Basilea. The workshop revealed the great deficits of knowledge around certain issues, especially those concerning the possibly adverse health effects arising from aircraft cabin air contamination by chemicals, nanoparticles and microörganisms. It was furthermore felt that the issues had become somewhat confrontational, with a polarization of opinion between airliners and aircraft manufacturers on the one hand, and aircrew on the other hand, and that there was a need for a strictly impartial unit able to investigate the matter objectively and disinterestedly. The cross-, inter- and pluridisciplinary nature of the field, encompassing chemistry, medicine, physics, mathematics and engineering, made the Collegium Basilea an ideal home for such a unit. The Unit supports and coördinates work relating to the problem, and also carries out its own research into the matter.

Anyone interested in collaborating with the Unit should first contact the Director, SAU, with a proposal (e-mail: info@colbas.org).