Alaska Gator

Oh yeah another thing I heard that I didn't think I saw in here is that I heard that if we had to wear a dissimeter (I think thats what a radiation monitor is called) like the things guys in nuke places work we would only be able to work 2 to 3 factory type shifts a week before we hit our "OHSA" radiation limit. And that on a typical work week/month pilots are more than twice over the nuke factory worker limit for exposure to radiation.

Corn...yes and no.

The instrument you describe is called a dosimeter, incidently FDX is the only airline that issues dosimeters to its pilots. A dosimeter is a measuring device, most use a known crystilline structure and then measure its change. The change in structure is then compared to a charted value to calculate the amount of radiation the device / wearer was exposed to.

More than you wanted to know !

However, you are correct in your reference to classification of "Radiation Workers". The Department of Energy regulates radiation workers in the US. However, under government agreement the FAA regulates all things related to aviation. If the DOE could inject itself in aviation, pilots would be listed as "radiation workers" and our total radiation exposure would have to be tracked. Also we would be required to have special education from our employers on the subject. If / when we reached perscribed limits we would have to be limited in our exposure...basically benched. The EU actually has some statues like this that affect aviation.

This is one of those cases where the US FAA trumps OSHA, DOE and other government regulatory agencies. In this case we are held to a lower standard!

There is an AC out on this subject that deals with education. However, AC's are advisory in nature and thus no company, at least that I'm aware of, provides any education to its pilots on radiation exposure. Sorry, don't have the # handy, but it easy to find. It was a product of the research done on the SST project back in the 60's and early 70's. At that time there was concern over increased exposure due to the high FL's that Concorde etc. would be operating.

Alaska Gator

No argument that sunspot activity increases solar radiation. However, solar radiation, reduces the amount of cosmic radiation that reaches the earth. Increased sunspot activity means less cosmic radiation, which is what we were talking about.

WW,

Great discussion! As I am now into drink #2 of a fine 7 year aged single batch bourbon I will not attempt to challenge your science. However, I will refer you to the following link that tells you just about everything you need to know about inflight radiation, cosmic, galactic, solar etc!

And for those not bored by this discussion yet, the AC I referred to earlier is AC 120-61A.

Cheers,
AKG

http://www.faa.gov/library/reports/m...media/0316.pdf

CaptDan

At FDX you used to be able to check your monthly radiation exposure. It hasn't been around for awhile. OK, I haven't checked in awhile. I'll check after this post.

CaptDan

Here's what I got from the radiation page on our website. Mine is at 1251.
Radiation Dose Standards

The deep external whole body exposure is presented in millirem (mrem), the dose equivalent unit for ionizing radiation exposure. Internationally the Sievert (Sv) is used (1mSv = 100 mrem). National and international radiation protection agencies and standards organization have established 5,000 mrem per year as the maximum permissible dose to the whole body, blood forming organs or gonads for an occupationally exposed radiation worker. (15,000 mrem is the maximum permissible annual dose to the lens of the eye, and 50,000 mrem is the maximum permissible annual dose to the extremities and skin.)

The International Atomic Energy Agency has recommended for occupational exposures arising from transport activities, where it is assessed that the effective dose is

most unlikely to exceed 100 mrem in a year, neither special work pattern nor detailed monitoring nor dose assessment programs nor individual record keeping shall be required;
likely to be between 100 mrem and 600 mrem in a year, a dose assessment program by work place monitoring or individual monitor shall be conducted;
likely to exceed 600 mrem in a year individual monitoring be conducted.
The Health Physics Society, and international radiation protection organization, as published a position paper which states:

In accordance with current knowledge of radiation health risks, the Health Physics Society recommends against quantitative estimation of health risks below an individual dose of 5,000 mrem in one year or a lifetime dose of 10,000 mrem in addition to background radiation. Risk estimation in this dose range should be strictly qualitative accentuating a range of hypothetical health outcomes with an emphasis on the likely possibility of zero adverse health effects. The current philosophy of radiation protection is based on the assumption that any radiation dose, no matter how small, may result in human health effects, such as cancer and hereditary genetic damage. There is substantial and convincing scientific evidence for health risks at high dose. Below 10,000 mrem (which includes occupational and environmental exposures), risks of health effects are either too small to be observed or are non-existent.

frozenboxhauler

This is the main reason why I bid for mostly night departures out of Anchorage.
fbh

FedEx1

The FDX radiation badge is for certain waves of radiation that will be in our cargo. It does not pick up cosmic of other types of radiation.

As for the melanoma, all pilots should be wearing sunscreen.

It was my understanding that there really hasn't been a large study done on pilots and cancer rates, and any info out there is based on a very narrow cross section of pilots.

MaxKts

Sunscreen itself can cause some forms of cancer. There are other ways to prevent/reduce risk of melanoma but it would require most of you to change your dietary habits.

KnightFlyer

How much radiation? The Earth’s atmosphere shields out most of the harmful cosmic rays, but as we go higher in the air, there is less atmospheric shielding, and thus less protection. As a general rule, total atmospheric radiation doubles with every approximately 6,500 foot increase in altitude. So with a few math calculations, the atmospheric cosmic radiation at FL390 is about 64 times greater than at sea level! Descending to FL330 cuts the radiation level down significantly to about 35 times more than sea level amounts. Therefore flying at lower altitudes results in less atmospheric radiation exposure than at higher altitudes. Some may conclude, “If I just fly at night, I won’t have to worry about any of this, right?” Sorry, but no. Since we are talking about cosmic radiation, it is present all around the globe, day or night.

Latitudes between 50 to 60 degrees is about where radiation levels “max out”, and at these latitudes and above, there is about four times more atmospheric radiation than if you were flying at the same altitude at 25 degrees latitude. Crews with regular flights from North America to Europe and Asia are routinely the most highly exposed to in-flight cosmic radiation.

Time aloft of course also affects your exposure; the more you fly, the more cosmic radiation exposure you will receive.

The other exposure variable is from solar flares. A solar flare of sufficient intensity to be of health concern is rare, with an average occurrence of about one a year, which raises radiation levels about 10 times above normal. This is roughly the equivalent of about one chest x-ray per hour at about FL350. A solar flare can last from a few hours to a few days. Solar flares of even greater intensity are more rare still, but can--and have--occurred The most powerful one ever recorded was back in 1956, and produced radiation levels at jet cruising altitudes of the astounding equivalent of about 100 chest x-rays per hour! Mild solar flares occur more often, but are only significant for the disruption they may cause to radio operation.

2003 iswap.org article

FDXLAG

This is why I wear an aluminum foil hat and have lead lined underwear. You can tell when the lead shielding wears out by the brown indicating strip.

CactusCrew

Newer models include a yellow indicator spot to warn of pending failure and needed replacement ...