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Crew members onboard commercial airlines are exposed to cosmic ionizing radiation at flight altitude from galactic sources. These exposures over time have a potential to adversely impact health. An ad hoc committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will conduct a study on radiation exposure to crew members aboard commercial airlines for select flight paths. The committee will consider existing literature and data, as well as current computational methods, to evaluate and estimate radiation exposure of flight crew and the potential health outcomes from radiation exposure. Potential mitigation methods will also be considered.
News and updates
A New Look at Radiation Exposure for Flight Crewmembers
Program News
A new congressionally mandated National Academies report is bringing renewed attention to those questions, recommending a more consistent approach to occupational radiation safety across the aviation industry. Assessing Radiation Exposure, Health Outcomes, and Mitigation Strategies for Flight Crewmembers outlines recommendations for developing radiation safety programs, improving education for flight crews, and starting a centralized system to track cumulative radiation exposure over a career.
FAA Urged to Revise its Approach to Radiation Exposure for Flight Crewmembers; Current Approaches Are Insufficient, Says New Report
News Release
During flights, airplane crews are exposed to cosmic radiation, yet regulatory protections for these workers are insufficient, and a lack of data complicates efforts to better understand the occupational risks to health and safety. A new National Academies report recommends actions to strengthen monitoring, communication, research, and safety practices.
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Assessing Radiation Exposure, Health Outcomes, and Mitigation Strategies for Flight Crewmembers
Consensus Study Report
·2026
Flight crewmembers are occupationally exposed to cosmic ionizing radiation. Although the radiation dose received during any individual commercial flight is generally low, dose accumulates over the course of a career and varies based on flight altitude, latitude, duration, and solar activity. Ionizin...
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