Re: rad exp to pilots and flight attendants

[avest@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Albert Lee Vest)]

>>Have there been any studies done on pilots and flight attendants on how much
>>radiation they receive by flying over 30,000 feet for hundreds of thousands
>>of miles per year?
>>
>>thanks,
>>nan newell
>>
>
>The mean annual equivalent dose is typically 1-3 mSv per year.

I believe that completely answers the question.  For comparison, 3 mSv/year
is about equal to the dose most Americans receive from natural background
radiation from internal and external sources.

>I suggest you get a copy of the British Medical Journal, Volume 311, 9 Sept
>1995, pages 649-652 entitled "Incidence of cancer among Finnish airline
>cabin attendants, 1967-92". 1577 women were followed up for an average of
>13.9 years. They found a significant excess of breast cancer (standardised
>incidence ratio 1.87 (95%CI 1.15-2.23). When the expected number of breast
>cancer was corrected by the standardised incidence ratio of Finland's social
>class 1, then the standardised incidence ratio was reduced to 1.4 (95%CI
>0.9-2.2).

What cabin attendant risk factors contribute to this excess breast cancer?
Breathing recirculated air, cramped working conditions, tight schedules, etc.
Is this slight radiation exposure was the only thing distinguishing this
population from the rest of "social class 1"?

In the context of answering the question above, I think it's important to
say this data doesn't *establish* a correlation between radiation dose and
breast cancer.  The most damning interpretation of the data would be to
infer an *upper limit* value to such a (linear, no-threshold) risk ratio,
ASSUMING SUCH A THING EVEN EXISTS.
Albert Lee Vest           The Ohio State University
Health Physicist    Room 103 1314 Kinnear Road Bldg
(614)292-1284                     1314 Kinnear Road
avest@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu   Columbus OH 43212
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