Cosmic and Electromagnetic Radiation

[Nattemby]

I'm currently doing a research project focusing on pilots health in the cockpit. There is a bunch of information on toxic air and stuff but not so much on cosmic and electromagnetic radiation. I have heard of airlines not allowing pilots to fly over the poles to many times due to the cosmic radiation. As well as this many pilots are concerned with electromagnetic radiation caused by instruments in the cockpit. Is there any information I am missing or opinions on this, as well as possible solutions to these problems?

[EW73]

These sorts of issues have been on the minds of military pilots for some time, especially in airplanes that are equipped with powerful radars. These are rumoured to be affecting the health of the flight crews, and wouldn't you just guess......the forces don't want to know!

Especially the big one, the AP-3C.

[Aviaservice]

Hi, there is some information you requested. It has been taken and translated with google from russian's docs.

Exposure to radiation (background) radiation
*
****Radiation (background) exposure of crew refers to
one of the most harmful, health hazards flight labor.
****The results of studies of background radiation in the sun cabins voyage
conditions, carried out by specialists GosNII GA, US
radiobiologists in 1988 - 1993 years., have shown that the radiation dose members
The flight crew at altitudes:
****- 9000 m up 226.8 micro-roentgen per hour (md per hour);
****- At an altitude of 10,000 m - 307 md per hour;
****- At an altitude of 11,000 m - 351 md per hour;
****- At an altitude of 12,000 m - 404 md per hour.
****At the same time the level of radiation from the earth and to a height of 1000 m
was 9.99 md per hour.
****Thus, the dose of crew at altitudes of
9,000 to 12,000 meters higher than the natural background radiation from the earth:
****- At a height of 9000 m - 31 times;
****- At an altitude of 11,000 m - 35 times;
****- At a height of 12,000 m - 41 times.
****In addition, at altitudes of 10,000 - 12,000 m solar flares
increasing the dose rate within 0.7 hours
200 mrem / hr, and sometimes up to 2000 mrem / hr.
****In accordance with the recommendations of the International Commission on
international units (Publication MKRZM 40) should be considered
crewmembers as professionals working in conditions
ionizing radiation dose comparable to that obtainable
nuclear workers.
****This increase in radiation exposure of crew,
starting from a height of 6000 m, leads primarily to a significant
weakening of the immune system of the body, has together with harmful
chemical impurities cabin air carcinogenic and mutagenic
influence on the organism, the development of a number of diseases, including
development of cancer; so that cancer mortality among
crew members of the aircraft is 60 cases per 100,000 patients.
****Additionally, the flight crew is under the constant influence
Microwave radiation, the sources of which are ground-based radar
system of air traffic control and on-board units
navigation and radar systems Sun.


If you want, i can email to you full version of the document (russian langage)

[wiggy]

Nattemby

There is a bunch of information on toxic air and stuff but not so much on cosmic and electromagnetic radiation.


Um, well at the risk of being controversial I'd say you'd got that the wrong way around. Over the decades there's been a significant amount of research into the radiation environment at airline cruising levels, including epidemiological studies into it's effects. I rather suspect it's far more thoroughly scientifically researched than "toxic air". Problem you might be encountering is that very little of the research has been translated from the scientific papers into "plain English".

Google is your friend, here's one fairly readable paper for starters...
http://http://oem.bmj.com/content/59/7/428.full (http://oem.bmj.com/content/59/7/428.full)

[Denti]

Cosmic radiation exposure has to be tracked in europe and if certain levels are reached there have to be measures taken to reduce further exposure. Flight plan filing, especially in higher latitudes, can be affected by space weather to reduce radiation exposure and some companies already use live radiation warnings to their crews to reduce the cruising altitude and therefore exposure if there is some unforeseen event.

[Nattemby]

Cheers that would be great if you could the original just so I can try to properly cite it. Thank you very much for your help!

[sky9]

Is this of any use, a radiation dose app?

esooka - News (http://www.esooka.de/en/pages/news/)

[mustafagander]

Nattemby, Check out Dr Ian Getley's work in this area. It may be what you're after.

[Denti]

Nattemby, EU-OPS (http://www.skybrary.aero/bookshelf/books/818.pdf) is a start, check out OPS 1.390 and OPS 1.680, the latter only applies to very high flying aircraft (usually business jets) that fly above FL490.

However i have to check where the yearly (20ms) and lifetime (400ms) limits are mentioned, those might be based on a pretty old EC Directive and are transcribed into national law by every EU nation which would make it difficult to search.

As flightcrew i have to do a radiation exposure training once a year (CBT) and get notified once a year by my companies radiation safety officer of my personal exposure, which is also put into the national database for workers with radiation exposure. If any flight crew becomes aware of being pregnant they have to notify the company and will get taken off flight duty at once to limit radiation exposure (they are free to fly for leisure using company provided discounted tickets though). I believe my company uses EPCARD to calculate radiation exposure, but there are other products available for that.

[redsnail]

Here's some very good links.

Skybrary.
Cosmic Radiation - SKYbrary Aviation Safety (http://www.skybrary.aero/index.php/Cosmic_Radiation)

UKDoT
[ARCHIVED CONTENT] Protection of air crew from cosmic radiation: Guidance material (http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/aviation/hci/protectionofaircrewfromcosmi2961)

FAA dose calculator
FAA Civil Aeromedical Institute - CARI (http://jag.cami.jccbi.gov/cariprofile.asp)
Background info on the calculator
https://www.faa.gov/data_research/research/med_humanfacs/aeromedical/radiobiology/cari6/

Another document (Advisory circular) from the FAA
http://www.faa.gov/documentlibrary/media/advisory_circular/ac_120-61b.pdf

That lot should keep you busy. :)

[dusk2dawn]

Go PubMed and search for "cancer aircrew".