Flying has become completely natural nowadays. However, anyone who flies a lot exposes themselves to increased radiation. Why? High-energy radiation from space constantly hits the earth. The atmosphere shields much of the radiation, but at high altitudes, such as in an airplane, radiation levels increase. High-altitude radiation is the term used to describe the ionizing radiation that occurs in the atmosphere. It originates from a high-energy particle radiation from outer space – cosmic radiation. The average annual natural radiation exposure due to cosmic radiation (space, sun) at sea level is 0.3 mSv (= millisievert). The unit of effective dose is 1 Sv ( sievert ), which today replaces the previously used unit rem (1Sv = 100 rem).
Radiation exposure depending on flight altitude
The higher an aircraft climbs, the more it is exposed to radiation from space. For example, a flight from Frankfurt to New York results in radiation exposure of 42 microsieverts (µSv). 24 hours at an altitude of up to 10,000 meters on a flight to Auckland results in a dose of 78 µSv for the passenger. Among other things, radiation exposure depends on flight altitude, flight duration and geographic conditions (radiation increases toward the poles).
Website for calculation of radiation exposure
The Institute for Radiation Protection at the GSF Research Center for Environment and Health in Neuherberg near Munich now provides a website that can be used to calculate the expected radiation dose for each flight. The calculation is based on the EPCARD program (European Program Package for the Calculation of Aviation Route Doses) developed with the support of the EU. The calculated radiation doses should make most frequent flyers breathe a sigh of relief: It would take jetting across the Atlantic 400 times a year to reach the International Commission on Radiological Protection’s (ICRP) recommended limit of 20 mSv for occupationally exposed persons.
