The plane is a fast and safe means of transport. Every day there are about 90,000 commercial flights around the world. Although many people are afraid of flying, the risk of an accident is extremely low; Professor Arnold Barnett of MIT estimates it to be about one in sixty million , far less than the risk of a car accident.
Therefore, we should not fear when we catch a plane. We can be sure that we are not exposed to any kind of danger… right?
The truth is that every time we fly we are exposed to a greater amount of cosmic rays than usual. What are they? Are they really dangerous to health?
Cosmic rays are energy-charged particles, X-rays and gamma rays that come from space. This radiation comes from everywhere, in fact, we cannot identify its origin; But we do know that high-energy cosmic radiation comes from very violent and distant events in the cosmos, such as neutron stars and black holes; But some types of cosmic radiation also come from our own galaxy, or from our Sun.
A high exposure to ionizing radiation can damage our cells at different levels and damage the most important thing that we keep in their nucleus: DNA, the molecule that stores genetic information, and that contains the instructions for the cells of our body to carry out their tasks correctly. functions.
One point: UV radiation is a form of radiation emitted by the Sun, but it is not considered cosmic radiation, since it is non-ionizing, that is, it is lower in energy level. Mind you, that doesn’t mean it can’t damage our DNA.
When highly energetic particles from space collide with Earth , they react with the atmosphere to produce radiation that reaches Earth. Ionizing cosmic radiation from space hits Earth, relentlessly. While you sleep, when you go to work, or at this very moment, thousands of atoms hit the palm of your hand.
Cosmic radiation exposes the body to radiation in a similar way to a medical X-ray. The average annual dose at sea level according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), of 0.34 millisieverts per year (a millisievert is a unit of measurement of the level of ionizing radiation, which is also used to calculate, by For example, the radiation that nuclear power plant workers are subjected to each year); which is equivalent to no more than two chest X-rays per year.
A very low level; so this low dose is unlikely to affect human health.
In addition, it must be taken into account that human beings, and the rest of the organisms on planet Earth, are constantly exposed to ionizing radiation on our own planet. Everything emits radiation, even yourself. We receive about 2.28 millisieverts per year from an internal radiation source each time we breathe; This figure is the highest and is the majority, 73% of all ionized radiation to which we are exposed. 0.29 millisieverts per year for the food we eat; and 0.21 millisieverts per year would come from other terrestrial sources. They are data from the National Council for Radiation Protection and Measurements.
Therefore, we see that cosmic radiation represents a very insignificant risk to human health. Our bodies have evolved in a radioactive environment, and we are used to living and thriving in it.
Is cosmic radiation the same everywhere on Earth?
Well no. Cosmic radiation levels depend on several factors, such as the altitude at which we are. The higher, the more radiation. It also depends on latitude: radiation is greater the closer we get to the poles, and it decreases the closer we are to the equator; and duration: the more time we are exposed, the greater the risk that damage may occur inside our cells.
In a commercial airplane, we are exposed to cosmic radiation, which is always present; and particles from solar flares.
Obviously, the more time you spend on an airplane, the more radiation you will be exposed to. So are flight crews more at risk of damage from cosmic radiation?
According to the National Council for Radiation Protection and Measurements, the average annual effective dose of flight crew members is 3.07 millisieverts. Other estimates range from 0.2 to 5 millisieverts each year.
Is this a lot or a little?
To give you an idea, workers in a nuclear power plant are exposed to about 0.5 millisieverts per year, and, by regulation, they cannot be exposed to more than 20 millisieverts.
20 millisieverts, this is the limit amount to which it is considered, at most, that a person should be exposed per year. More than that could carry risks like cancer or infertility.
So, in principle, flight crews are a little more exposed than the average person, who can fly three or four times a year, to cosmic radiation; but even so, in no case are we talking about a significantly large or dangerous amount.
However, not many human tests have yet been done to measure the amount of radiation that is dangerous to health. That is, we still do not know what levels of cosmic radiation are safe for each person.
For example, in the case of cancers that can be related to radiation, and reproductive health problems, such as spontaneous abortion and birth defects, it is not possible to know if these problems can be caused by working conditions, more exposed to the radiation, or by other factors. Diseases such as cancer are complex and their cause is multifactorial.
In 2017, a study by the University of Colorado at Boulder concluded that exposure to cosmic radiation will be greater in the next decade, since it will coincide with a less active solar cycle, which means that there will be less solar wind to buffer. cosmic rays that strike the Earth.
Lead researcher Delores Knipp explained how her findings pointed to the fact that when this happens, it is likely that we will have to reschedule some routes or even cancel some flights , to avoid overexposure to this rain of ionizing particles.
Are you going to fly soon? We leave you a link to a cosmic ray calculator, so you can find out how much radiation you will be exposed to on your next trip.
Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/aircrew/cosmicionizingradiation.html
Cosmic Ray Calculator:
http://jag.cami.jccbi.gov/cariprofile.asp
