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Environmental Impact of Aircraft Deicing

Aircraft deicing and anti-icing fluids (ADAFs) are used heavily world wide, with millions of liters of ADAF entering the environment every year. ADAFs consist primarily of either ethylene or propylene glycol which make up between 80-90% of ADAF mixtures. The remaining components include water and other ingredients such as corrosion inhibitors, thickening agents, surfactants, and fire retardants. The identity of the chemicals making up these components has generally not been made public by the manufactures of ADAFs.

Until recently, it was believed that the primary environmental impact related to the release of ADAFs into aquatic systems was the high biochemical oxygen demand resulting from the decomposition of glycols. However, a number of studies have shown that formulated ADAFs are significantly more toxic to aquatic species than glycols alone (Pillard 1995; Fisher et al. 1995; Hartwell et al. 1995; Pillard and DuFrensne 1999; Cornell et al. 2000; Corsi et al. 2001).

A number of research groups world-wide continue to study the environmental impact of aircraft deicing operations.

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Aircraft Deicing Publications

• Cancilla, D. A., Baird, C. J., Geis, S., and Corsi, S. R. “Studies of the Environmental Fate and Effect of Aircraft Deicing Fluids: Detection of 5-Methyl-1H-benzotriazole in Fathead Minnows (P. promelas),” Env. Tox. and Chem., 2003, 22(1): 134.
• Cancilla, D. A., Baird, J., and Rosa, R., “Detection of Aircraft Deicing Additives in Groundwater and Soil Samples from Fairchild Air Force Base, a Small to Moderate User of Deicing Fluids,” Bull. Environ. Contam. Tox. 2003, 70, 868.
• Corsi, S. R., Zitomer, D. H., Field, J. A., and Cancilla, D. A., “Nonylphenol Ethoxylates and Other Additives in Aircraft Deicers, Antiicers, and Waters Receiving Airport Runoff,” Environ. Sci. & Technol., 2003, 37(18):4031.
• Cancilla, D. A., Martinez, J., and Van Aggelen, G., “Detection of Aircraft Deicing/Antiicing Fluid Additives in a Perched Water Monitoring Well at an International Airport,” Environ. Sci. Technol. 1998, 32,3834-3835.
• Cancilla, D.A., Holtkamp, A., Mattassa, L. and Fang, X., "Isolation and Characterization of MicrotoxTM-Active Components from Aircraft De-Icing/Anti-Icing Solutions," Env. Tox. and Chem. 1997, 16(3):430-434.

Aircraft Deicing Presentations

• Corsi, S.R, Zitomer, D.H., Field, JA. and Cancilla, D. A. a”Nonylphenol Ethoxylates in Aircraft Deicers, Antiicers, and Waters Receiving Airport Runoff ,” Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) National Meeting, Austin, TX, November 2003.
• Cancilla, D. A. “Environmental Effects of Aircraft Deicing Fluids: A Flight of Fancy,” Invited paper, Northwest Toxicological Assessment Group (NWTAG) Meeting, Port Townsend, WA, April 17, 2003.
• Cancilla, D. A. and Baird, C., “Determining the Environmental Fate of Aircraft Deicers: Detecting Tolyltriazoles in Groundwater and Fathead Minnows,” 56th Northwest Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Seattle, WA, June 2001.
• Cancilla, D. A. and Baird, C., “Aircraft Deicing and the Environment: Legal, Scientific and Technical Issues,” Invited Lecture, Region X Water Workshop, Air Force Center of Environmental Excellence, Fairchild AFB, WA, February 2001.
• Cancilla, D. A. and Baird C., “Continuing Studies into the Environmental Fate and Effect of Aircraft De-icing Chemicals,” 55th Northwest Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Idaho Falls, Idaho, June 2000.
• Cancilla, D. A. “Environmental Impacts of Aircraft Deicing,” Invited Speaker, Additives in Deicing Fluids Seminar, Oslo, Norway, Nov. 1999.
• Cancilla, D. A., *Martinez, J., *Belka, M., *Shotwell. S., “Studies into the Environmental Fate and Effect of Aircraft Deicing Fluids (ADAFs), Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) National Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, Nov. 1999, Invited poster. (* Undergraduate Research Students)
• Cancilla, D. A., *Martinez, J. and *Shotwell, S., “Characterization of Microtox Active Components from Aircraft Deicing Fluids and Detection of these Components in a Perched Water Monitoring Well”, Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) National Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, Nov. 1999, Invited poster. (* Undergraduate Research Students)
• Cancilla, D. A., *Martinez, J., *Simon, O., and *Wadlow, P., “Continuing Studies into the Environmental Fate and Effect of Aircraft De-icing Chemicals,” 54th Northwest Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Portland, Oregon, June 1999. (* Undergraduate Research Students)
• Cancilla, D. A., *Martinez, J., *Belka, M., and *Scullin, S., “ Evaluation of the Environmental Fate and Effect of Aircraft De-icing Fluids,” Northwest Scientific Association Annual Meeting, Tacoma, Washington, March 1999. (* Undergraduate Research Students)
• Cancilla, D. A., *Martinez, J., *Simon, O., and *Wadlow, P., “Chemical and Environmental Characterization of Aircraft De-icing Fluids,” 53rd Northwest Regional Meeting of the American chemical Society, Pasco, Washington, June 1998. (* Undergraduate Research Students)

Integrated Laboratory Network

Western Washington University’s Integrated Laboratory Network has won one of five 2004 Sloan Consortium awards for Most Outstanding Effective Practices in online education. The Sloan Consortium, is an association of institutions and organizations engaged in online learning and is committed to ensuring that education will become a part of everyday life, accessible and affordable for anyone, anywhere, any time, in a wide variety of disciplines.

A recent talk describing the ILN and which was sponsored by the University of British Columbia's Office of Learning Technology can be seen at the following link: ILN Talk

Pilot projects with other institutions have demonstrated the feasability of using the WWU intruments available through the ILN remotely over the internet. Educational materials are currently being developed to allow the principles and practices of the ILN to be easily used by other intitutions. For example, instrumentaion videos, developed using Camtasia software to capture the screen and mouse movements required to operate a specific instrument are currently being produced for student and faculty use. A brief example of a training video for an atomic absorption spectrophotometer is shown

Integrated Laboratory Network Publications

• Cancilla, D. A. and Albon, S. P., “Creating Authentic Learning Activities in Pharmaceutical Instrumental Analysis: Using the Integrated Laboratory Network for Remote Access to Scientific Instrumentation,” J. Asynchronous Learning Networks, 2005, 9(2):4.
• Cancilla, D. A., “Initial Design and Development of an Integrated Laboratory Network (ILN): A New Model for the Use of Instrumentation in the Undergraduate Curriculum,” J. Chem. Ed., 2004,81(12):1809.

Integrated Laboratory Presentations

• Cancilla, D. A. and Albon, S. P. “Sharing instruments across the US/Canada border: Using WWU's integrated laboratory network for the analysis of metals in traditional herbal medicines at UBC,” American Chemical Society National Meeting, San Diego, CA, March 13-17, 2005.
• Cancilla, D. A. Organizer and Presider, Session entitled: Anytime/Anyplace Access to Instrumentation over the Internet: Changing the Way Science is Taught. Federation of Analytical Chemistry and Spectroscopy Societies, Portland, Oregon, October 3-7, 2004.
• Albon, S. and Cancilla, D. A., “The Integrated Laboratory Network Pilot Project: A Virtual Approach to Teaching Pharmaceutical Analysis,” Association of Faculties of Pharmacy in Canada Annual Conference, Vancouver, Canada, June 10-12, 2004.
• Cancilla, D. A., “The Integrated Laboratory Network Initiative: Science Anytime and Anyplace,” UBC’s E-Strategy Town Hall, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, June 15, 2004.
• Cancilla, D. A, “Western’s Integrated Laboratory Network: Providing Greater Access to Instrumentation Throughout the Undergraduate Curriculum,” The Ninth Sloan-C Conference on Asynchronous Learning Networks: The Power of Online Learning, Orlando, FL, November 14 –16, 2003. Sloan-C Talk

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• Cancilla, D. A., “Western’s Integrated Laboratory Network: Laboratory Science Anytime and Anyplace,” Federation of Analytical Chemistry and Spectroscopy Societies, Ft. Lauderdale, FL October 19-23, 2003.
• Cancilla, D. A., “Linking Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy through Western’s Integrated Laboratory Network (ILN): Providing Greater Access to Instrumentation Throughout the Undergraduate Curriculum,” American Chemical Society National Meeting, NY, NY, September 9-13, 2003.
• Gilbert, L., Cancilla, D. A., Patrick, D, Clark, D. “Creating an Integrated Laboratory Network: Science for Students Anytime/Anywhere, Special Symposium presented at the 17th Biennial Conference on Chemical Education,” July 28-Aug. 1, 2002, Bellingham, WA.
• Cancilla, D. A. and Melious, J. O., “What’s Flowin’ Through Rowan?” Linking Environmental Chemistry with Environmental Law,” 17th Biennial Conference on Chemical Education,” July 28-Aug 1, 2002, Bellingham, WA.
• Cancilla, D. A., “Development of Western’s Integrated Laboratory Network (ILN): A New Model for the Introduction of Instrumental Techniques into the Undergraduate Curriculum,” American Chemical Society National Meeting, Orlando, FL, April 7-11, 2002.
• Cancilla, D. A., “Western Washington University’s Integrated Laboratory Network: A New Model for Science Instruction,” 13th International Conference on College Teaching and Learning, Jacksonville, FL, April 13, 2002.

E-mail: Devon.Cancilla@wwu.edu