Jean-Christophe Balouet (12 November 1956 − 31 March 2021) was a French

palaeontologist Paleontology, also spelled as palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of the life of the past, mainly but not exclusively through the study of fossils. Paleontologists use fossils as a means to classify organisms, measure geolo ...

. He has collaborated extensively with Storrs Olson of the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...

on palaeornithological research on the extinct birds of

New Caledonia New Caledonia ( ; ) is a group of islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean, southwest of Vanuatu and east of Australia. Located from Metropolitan France, it forms a Overseas France#Sui generis collectivity, ''sui generis'' collectivity of t ...

in the south-west

Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is bounded by the cont ...

region.

Education

Jean-Christophe attended University Paris at La Sorbonne University (Jussieu) he obtained a Degree in Advanced Studies in 1982; and a Doctorate in 1984. He was a postdoctorate scientist at the

in 1986, and a research scientist in the National Museum of Natural History, Paris.

Environmental projects

Jean-Christophe worked with Jacques Cousteau on ''Calypso'' and later was founder and manager of the Clinic for Oiled Sea Birds from 1978 supertanker wreck ''Amoco Cadiz''. From 1989 to 1994 he worked as a consultant for the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) Industry Technology and Economics Office, in charge of technology, scientific and regulatory surveys worldwide. He was editor of the OzonAction, an international newsletter where he collaborated with over 1000 private and public parties. From 1993 to 2021 Jean-Christophe was a manager at Environment International. The company specialized in environmental forensics, consultancy and expertise, science and technology, regulations and standards, surveys, analysis, compliance, anticipation and management issues in various industries. The company dealt with pollution events, environmental impact, occupational and public exposures to the environment. Jean-Christophe was an expert witness in international legal cases and governmental enquiries (USA, Europe, Australia).

Aerotoxic syndrome

USAF Flight Surgeon Dr Harry Hoffman, Australian Toxicologist and French Forensic scientist Jean-Christophe Balouet's published after much international research, the term '' aerotoxic syndrome'' on 20 October 1999 to describe the acute and chronic human ill health caused by exposure to toxic oil fumes in most commercial jets. Jean-Christophe Balouet not only raised awareness of this public health issue but he was also instrumental in the decision to change the architecture of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner back to using electrically compressed 'outside' air, which is unique as this airplane does not use unfiltered, unmonitored ‘bleed air’ for cabin ventilation.

Publications

Jean-Christophe Balouet authored 96 peer-reviewed publications and his works have been translated into many languages with him contributing to over 300 articles, 150 radio and 70 TV programs in 12 countries. He has participated in over 90 international meetings, delivered more than 50 presentations at international conferences, contributed to four international standards committees as chair and to three committees as a member. * 1989 – ''Fossil Birds from Late Quaternary Deposits in New Caledonia'' (With Storrs Olson). Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 469. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D.C. * 1990 – ''Extinct species of the world: lessons for our future'' (With Eric Alibert). Letts: London.

References

1956 births 2021 deaths French paleontologists French ornithologists {{paleontologist-stub