Since the 1980s, some commercial airline pilots and flight crews in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia began to report an illness they believed was caused by exposure to contaminated cabin air. Despite a body of scientific research and health activism calling for this condition, termed Aerotoxic Syndrome (AS), to be classified an occupational illness, it has not been accepted as a clinical entity because its causation remains contested. This article contends that debates over the recognition of AS have been shaped by the politics of science and what can be considered evidence of a causal link; the burden of proof lay with survivors and their allies rather than with airlines and manufacturers. The history of AS shows the challenges of reacting to health risks in a global industry that provides an important form of transportation, and enjoys considerable political and economic influence. It also reveals that at the heart of commercial jet air travel remains an unresolved public health issue, and those who claim to be suffering from AS expected prompt recognition, reform and assistance in light of scientific research and personal testimony, as well as a range of chemical, medical, legal and air safety reports.

自 1980 年代以来，美国、英国和澳大利亚的一些商业航空公司飞行员和机组人员开始报告他们认为是由于接触受污染的机舱空气引起的疾病。尽管有大量科学研究和健康活动人士呼吁将这种被称为气毒综合征 (AS) 的病症归类为职业病，但它并未被接受为临床实体，因为其因果关系仍有争议。本文认为，关于承认 AS 的辩论受到科学政治的影响，以及什么可以被视为因果关系的证据；举证责任在于幸存者及其盟友，而不是航空公司和制造商。AS 的历史显示了在提供重要交通方式的全球行业中应对健康风险的挑战，并享有相当大的政治和经济影响力。它还表明，商业喷气式航空旅行的核心仍然是一个未解决的公共卫生问题，那些声称患有 AS 的人希望根据科学研究和个人证词以及一系列化学、医疗、法律和航空安全报告。