Airline Pilots, Crews Exposed to Increasing Levels of Radiation

Airline pilots and crew are being exposed to increasing amounts of radiation as planes fly longer distances, according to France’s nuclear safety institute. The five-year study by the Institut de Radioprotection et de Surete Nucleaire found that while crew members receiving annual exposure above a specific safety limit remains relatively tiny, the proportion doubled between 2016 and 2019, and recommended rotating staff more frequently away from the most affected routes. Airline crews are more exposed than people on the ground to radiation from cosmic rays, which are blocked by the atmosphere. Radiation levels affecting pilots and cabin crew should be closely monitored, and they “should be considered exposed workers,” the report said.

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