IF YOU THINK THAT YOU HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO OIL SMOKE/FUMES ON AN AIRCRAFT, THIS IS HOW YOU CAN PARTICIPATE IN A RESEARCH PROJECT INTENDED TO DEVELOP A MEANS TO IDENTIFY THE PRESENCE OF ENGINE OIL ADDITIVES IN THE BLOOD:

Prof. Clem Furlong is leading a research team at the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle, WA to develop blood tests intended to identify whether a person has been exposed to aviation engine oil by looking for evidence of particular oil additives (tricresylphosphates, or TCPs) in the blood. To participate in the research and have your blood analyzed, you need to get your blood drawn within two weeks of exposure to oil fumes. The blood tests are still in the research phase, but your blood sample will be kept frozen until the proposed tests have been developed.

If you do not live or plan to be in the Seattle area, follow these directions:

1. Take a copy of this letter from Prof. Furlong to your doctor to ask him/her to write an order for the blood draw so that you can participate in the study. If you have difficulty arranging a blood draw, contact AFA’s Judith Murawski (206-932-6237; judith@AFAseattle.org) for suggestions.

2. Review and sign this consent form, and then call 206-543-1193 to review it by phone with Prof. Clem Furlong, Dr. Toby Cole, or Dr. Paul Baker at the UW.

3. Complete this two-page questionnaire about what happened during your flight to put your blood sample in context.

4. Make a copy of your signed consent form and completed questionnaire for your records.

5. Take the blood draw order from the doctor and these blood draw instructions to your local blood draw lab. (Blood draws outside the US: Labs outside the US may want to ship samples in batches to save on shipping costs. If so, they must spin each blood sample into red blood cell and plasma fractions and store them in the freezer in separate test tubes. When the lab is ready, they can ship a batch of samples with cold packs. If they use overnight shipping, dry ice will not be necessary.)

6. Mail or fax the signed consent form and the completed questionnaire to Rebecca Richter at UW (rrichter@u.washington.edu or fax: 206-543-3050).

Your medical insurance may or may not pay for the blood draw, but there is no charge to participate in this study. You will need to pay for the overnight courier service to have the sample transported to Prof. Furlong’s lab at the UW, although some union councils are reimbursing their members for the shipping charge. Do not ship your sample on a Friday or Saturday. There will be some delay in analysis because the proposed tests are still under development, but the research team will notify you (and your doctor, if you choose) of any results, with guidance on interpretation.

If you live or plan to be in the Seattle area, follow these directions:

1. Contact Prof. Clem Furlong (206-543-1193; clem@u.washington.edu) and make an appointment to get your blood drawn and submit your paperwork. The University of WA will not charge you to draw your blood and there will be no shipping charges.

2. Follow these driving directions to his lab.

3. Bring a signed copy of this consent form to review with him in person, and fill out this two-page questionnaire.