title: Flight attendant radiation dose from solar particle events.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Research has suggested that work as a flight attendant may be related to increased risk for reproductive health effects. Air cabin exposures that may influence reproductive health include radiation dose from galactic cosmic radiation and solar particle events. This paper describes the assessment of radiation dose accrued during solar particle events as part of a reproductive health study of flight attendants.
  
  
  METHODS
  Solar storm data were obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Space Weather Prediction Center list of solar proton events affecting the Earth environment to ascertain storms relevant to the two study periods (1992-1996 and 1999-2001). Radiation dose from exposure to solar energetic particles was estimated using the NAIRAS model in conjunction with galactic cosmic radiation dose calculated using the CARI-6P computer program.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seven solar particle events were determined to have potential for significant radiation exposure, two in the first study period and five in the second study period, and over-lapped with 24,807 flight segments. Absorbed (and effective) flight segment doses averaged 6.5 μGy (18 μSv) and 3.1 μGy (8.3 μSv) for the first and second study periods, respectively. Maximum doses were as high as 440 μGy (1.2 mSv) and 20 flight segments had doses greater than 190 μGy (0.5 mSv).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  During solar particle events, a pregnant flight attendant could potentially exceed the equivalent dose limit to the conceptus of 0.5 mSv in a month recommended by the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements.
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Jeri L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Mertens
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Grajewski
authors.forename: Lian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Chih-Yu
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Tseng
authors.forename: Rick T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Cassinelli
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000401:Aircraft; D003359:Cosmic Radiation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D012307:Risk Factors; D019445:Solar Activity