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The NIOSH/FAA Working Women's Health Study: evaluation of the cosmic-radiation exposures of flight attendants.

Waters M; Bloom TF; Grajewski B

Health Phys 2000 Nov; 79(5):553-559

https://doi.org/10.1097/00004032-200011000-00012

20023750

Air crew are exposed to elevated levels of cosmic ionizing radiation of galactic and solar origin and are among the more highly exposed occupational groups to ionizing radiation in the United States. Depending on flight route patterns, the annual dose may range from 0.2 to 5 mSv. By comparison, the average annual radiation dose equivalent of occupationally exposed adults in the United States is estimated to be 1.1 mSv. Cosmic-radiation dose depends primarily on altitude and geomagnetic latitude and to a lesser degree on solar activity. Although the International Commission on Radiological Protection has recommended that air crew exposures to natural radiation in-flight be treated as occupational exposures, United States flight crew exposures to natural cosmic radiation are not regulated or typically monitored. There are approximately 148,000 air crew (flight deck crew and flight attendants) in the United States.

Health-programs; Health-surveys; Flight-personnel; Radiation-exposure; Radiation-hazards; Radiation-monitoring; Occupational-exposure; Health-hazards; Author Keywords: National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements; exposure; occupational; radiation; cosmic; health effects

Martha Waters, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 4676 Columbia Parkway R-14, Cincinnati, Ohio 45226

HLTPAO

20001101

Journal Article

2001

5

0017-9078

DSHEFS

Health Physics

OH