[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: Dose received from air travel?

 One generic number cannot necessarily be used as a representative dose rate.
 Dose rates to people in aircraft at altitude are highly dependent on altitude,
 latitude, and sun spot cycle.

 The FAA's Advisory Circular #120-52, "Radiation Exposure of Air Carrier
 Crewmembers," dated March 5, 1990 says:

   "At an altitude of 35,000 feet, for example, the dose equivalent rate from
    cosmic rays isabout 6 microsieverts (0.6 millirem) per hour."

 AC 120-52 was revised in January 1992 as DOT/FAA/AM-92/2, "Radiation Exposure
 of Air Carrier Crewmembers II."  Table 1 of that document lists:


 -------------------------------------------
 Location         Altitude, ft        uSv/hr
 -------------------------------------------
 Oklahoma City       1,200             0.04
     "     "        39,000             8

 Polar Region          "               9

 Equator               "              4-5
 -------------------------------------------


 Bruce Pickett
 The Boeing Company, Seattle, WA
 shea136@kgv2.bems.boeing.com

 +-------------------------------------------------------------+
 |"You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometime,|
 | you just might find, you get what you need" - Rolling Stones|
 +-------------------------------------------------------------+