Are Flight Attendants More Likely to Encounter Health Risks Due to Cosmic Radiation Exposure?

Flight attendants, with their long hours of flying, may potentially face increased health risks due to radiation exposure. While the risks are debated, it is important to understand the current knowledge and research surrounding this topic.

Understanding Radiation Exposure

Flight attendants are limited in hours to minimize their exposure to radiation. However, the extent of these restrictions and when they were first implemented are not widely known. Additionally, the use of off-hour flying is also restricted.

While frequent flyers, including both flight crew and business travelers, may have an increased risk due to radiation exposure, it is also reasonable to assume that healthcare workers like doctors and nurses might have a higher risk as well. However, for flight attendants, there is empirical evidence that supports their higher risk of cancer diagnosis.

Confirmed Evidence from Personal Experience and Studies

I have spent 35 years as a flight attendant and have been diagnosed with breast cancer twice. A study conducted by the University of San Francisco, tracking flight attendants' cancer diagnoses, revealed a higher percentage of cancer cases among flight attendants compared to the general population. Each cross-country flight increases exposure to radiation, equivalent to a chest x-ray, which supports the higher cancer rates observed.

While I have not personally experienced other cancers, the same principle likely applies. The increased exposure to cosmic radiation over time could contribute to higher rates of malignancies.

Quantifying Radiation Exposure and Health Risks

To determine if flight attendants are more likely to become ill due to radiation exposure, we need to understand the extent of their exposure and compare it to general population exposure. The Department of Energy's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) assumes a linear no-threshold model, indicating that any increase in radiation exposure leads to a proportional increase in risk.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, flight attendants spend 65-90 hours in the air per month. The EPA estimates that a typical cross-country flight, lasting around 5 hours, results in radiation exposure ranging from 2 to 5 millirins. Over a standard year, this annual exposure can range from 300 to 1,000 millirem (mrem) while at work.

Adding the average exposure of 300-400 mrem from natural and man-made sources, flight attendants' total exposure could range from 600 to 1,400 mrem. Health physicists recommend a limit of an additional 100 mrem of exposure annually to manage this risk.

Back-of-the-Envelope Predictions and Health Implications

The EPA states that a short-term high-level exposure of 5-10 rem can result in non-symptomatic minor changes in blood chemistry. For flight attendants receiving this equivalent exposure over 5-15 years, the risk is considered negligible. The human immune system can repair any detected cellular damage caused by radiation.

While the increased risk is not unmanageable or flagrantly hazardous, it becomes a non-trivial concern if workloads persist over years. Airline policies often require flight attendants to take it easier over time and perform more ground duties.