Radiation Exposure During Air Travel: Guidance Provided by the Federal Aviation Administration For Air Carrier Crews

Friedberg, Wallace; Copeland, Kyle; Duke, Frances E.; O’Brien, K.; Darden, E.B.

doi:10.1097/00004032-200011000-00018

Cited by 63 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…In conjunction with an SPE database, precise estimates such as these can prove to be very important for frequent flyers, especially those whose travel is regularly on transpolar flights between the United States and Asia [Barish, 2009;Barish and Dilchert, 2010]. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has set guidelines that recommend yearly maximal cosmic radiation exposure dosages for aircrews and the general public [Friedberg et al, 2000]. Better dosage estimates can better inform frequent flyers of their exposure to radiation and promote public safety, and precise estimates may be even more important for European nations, where law currently enforces radiation exposure regulations.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quiet time observations of the open‐closed boundary prior to the CIR‐induced storm of 9 August 2008

et al. 2011

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[1] The open-closed magnetic field line boundary (OCB) is an important indicator of magnetospheric dynamics and can be used to identify locations of particle precipitation at the edge of the magnetosphere. The OCB can fluctuate during geomagnetic events, and the extent of this variability is a vital component of space weather research and modeling. There was a unique opportunity to identify and study the synoptic variability of the OCB during the extended 2007-2009 solar quiet period through use of the Polar Experiment Network for Geophysical Upper-atmosphere Investigations-Automatic Geophysical Observatory (PENGUIn-AGO) network of ground-based fluxgate magnetometers on the Antarctic continent. The fluxgates, which measured the occurrence of standing Pc5 modes on closed field magnetic field lines, allowed for identification of the OCB structure and study of the synoptic behavior of the OCB before and during a corotating interaction region (CIR)-driven magnetic storm. Observations were compared with results from the BATSRUS space weather model and show 83% agreement for over ∼2 days before the CIR event. It is shown that such synoptic magnetometer data sets of the OCB during these storms allow for a careful test of current space weather models. The current study investigates the pre-storm time period, while a future paper will address the storm time evolution of the OCB.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quiet time observations of the open‐closed boundary prior to the CIR‐induced storm of 9 August 2008

et al. 2011

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“…Parity ranged from 0 to 8 with a median of 1 (Table 1) Table 3. There are articles looking at the risks to pregnant women by travel type such as thromboembolic disease [20] and radiation exposure while flying [21] [22]. Certain travel behaviors such as wilderness travel [23], scuba diving [24], and the impact of altitude [25] have been examined.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Travel in Pregnancy: The Impact of Zika

Curcio¹,

Baum²,

Gussman³

et al. 2017

OJOG

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OBJECTIVE: The purpose of our study was to examine current travel patterns and behaviors of pregnant women. METHODS: We developed a questionnaire adapted from a publication by Kingman and Economides to examine the travel behavior of women during pregnancy in a suburban community. RESULTS: A convenience sample of 102 patients completed the travel questionnaire. Forty-six (45.1%) traveled during the current pregnancy. Thirty-one (30.4%) traveled more than once. A total of 257 trips were taken by the participants: 113 (43.9%) trips were taken in the first trimester, 87 (33.8%) in the second and 59 (22.9%) in the third trimester. Trip length ranged from 2-90 days with a mean of 11 days. Reasons for travel included: 193 (75.1%) for leisure, 37 (14.4%) work related, 10 (3.9%) trips for emergencies, and 3 (0.4%) trips for relocation. Eighteen women (17.6%) traveled internationally. One (1.0%) woman was hospitalized while traveling. Manner of travel was as follows: car 167 (65.0%), plane 67 (26.1%), train 13 (5.1) %, bus 10 (3.9%) and none by boat. Nineteen (41.3%) women sought travel advice. Thirteen (68.4%) asked for advice from a doctor, 2 (10.5%) from a nurse, 2 (10.5%) from family and/or friends, 1 (5.3%) from the Internet and 1 (5.3%) from a travel book. Seventeen (37%), traveled without suitable insurance. DISCUSSION: Travel rates during pregnancy have remained surprisingly stable over the past 60 years. Almost 50% of our cohort traveled during pregnancy, and the majority did not seek advice prior to travel. In light of new infectious disease threats, obstetric practice and advice needs reassessment. The majority of travel during pregnancy remains optional. Improved patient education and consultations prior to travel could decrease health risks.

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“…64 Thus, while we await the results of better designed epidemiological studies and more biologically founded laboratory experiments, there is a need, in the meantime, to alert physicians and inform air crew (and frequent flyers) so that informed choices based on available information can at least be made. For those interested, educational materials issued by the Federal Aviation Administration 65 and the Association of European Airlines, 66 would be a good place to start. …”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cosmic rays: are air crew at risk?

2002

Occup Environ Med

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This article reviews the current knowledge about cosmic rays and their possible effects on health of air crew, discusses research directions necessary for establishing and measuring the risks, and highlights the need for physicians and air crew to be informed, despite the inconclusiveness of the evidence. A literature review of computerised medical and scientific databases was carried out. Recent reports highlighting increased incidence of cancer among airline pilots and cabin crew have renewed concerns about possible exposure to harmful levels of cosmic radiation at altitude. Such low energy ionising radiation has been shown to cause double stranded DNA deletions and induce genomic instability in human chromosomes. In the field of microelectronics, cosmic rays have been shown to cause “hard” and “soft” errors in computer microchips, in a dose-response fashion with increasing altitude. Pregnant cabin crew members are of special concern. Although the epidemiological evidence is still inconclusive, we know enough to warrant a cautionary stance. The European Union (EU) leads the way in legislation.

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Radiation Exposure During Air Travel: Guidance Provided by the Federal Aviation Administration For Air Carrier Crews

Cited by 63 publications

References 6 publications

Quiet time observations of the open‐closed boundary prior to the CIR‐induced storm of 9 August 2008

Quiet time observations of the open‐closed boundary prior to the CIR‐induced storm of 9 August 2008

Travel in Pregnancy: The Impact of Zika

Cosmic rays: are air crew at risk?

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