Not Just Flight Hours You’re Collecting Up There
If you ever accidentally opened OM-A, you may have come across the section on crew health and radiation exposure. And if you were unlucky enough to be my trainee…you’ve probably heard me talk about it honestly and passionately.
Because this is one of those topics that doesn’t get much space in crew training, sometimes because it sounds uncomfortable to talk about. But with the right understanding, it becomes something you can actually make sense of…and it helps you change the way you look at your health and diet over time.
So… what are we actually exposed to?
In aviation, the main source is cosmic radiation coming from space. On the ground, we’re well protected, as the atmosphere absorbs much of it before it reaches us, but at cruising altitude, that shielding is reduced. There is also the Earth’s magnetic field, which helps deflect incoming radiation, and this protection is weaker over the poles. So when flying high-altitude, long-haul, and especially polar routes, both layers of protection are reduced, and exposure is higher.
Cosmic radiation is a type of ionising radiation, and that means it carries enough energy to remove electrons from atoms (you may have heard about “free radicals“). When that happens in the body, it can interact with cells, increase oxidative stress and cause changes within our DNA.
Good news? Your body is constantly working to repair this. We have built-in systems that detect and correct this kind of damage all the time. Some regular physiological processes also create free radicals, so our body knows how to deal with them.
One isolated flight cannot have an adverse effect; it’s about small doses repeated over time, where each flight adds a tiny amount that gradually becomes measurable across a flying pattern.
Exposure is measured using Gray (Gy) for absorbed energy and Sievert (Sv) for biological effect. In aviation, we use millisieverts (mSv), reflecting the effective dose and its potential impact on the body.
Radiation is only one part of a bigger picture that includes circadian disruption, sleep, lifestyle, and UV exposure, all working together over time.
Regulatory bodies within aviation take this exposure seriously, and it is measured using dedicated software. One of the main tools used in aviation is the FAA’s CARI-7 model, which estimates radiation dose for a specific flight based on route, altitude, date, and latitude.
Typical ranges:
Around 1 mSv per year for lower-exposure operations
Up to ~6 mSv per year for long-haul, high-latitude flying
So most crew are operating within established safety frameworks. Airlines monitor exposure closely, and when a crew member approaches higher levels, their roster is adjusted to manage it.
Why talk about it? Because some studies have observed increased rates of certain cancers in aircrew, particularly melanoma and breast cancer.
Before you panic-resign, you also need to know this: the key is how these findings are interpreted, as radiation is only one part of a bigger picture that includes circadian disruption, sleep, lifestyle, and UV exposure, all working together over time. The aviation job is unique, and the crew is exposed to so many factors that impact our health.
Is there anything you can do? You can’t remove radiation from the job, but you can support how your body responds to it, particularly through nutrition, as ionising radiation increases oxidative stress.
There is research suggesting that diets rich in antioxidant foods can support the body’s ability to manage this type of stress and assist with cellular repair. The important word here is food, as the same study showed that the group relying on antioxidant supplements did not demonstrate any measurable improvement in DNA damage.
Antiox…what? Wait, I am not asking you to become a nutritionist and overcomplicate your diet. Veggies and fruits. Just think in colours, many colours, as the more variety on your plate, the more variety of antioxidants you’re getting.
I hope this reading brought understanding and removed any stigma and fear around radiation exposure.
Radiation is part of the environment you work in. You don’t feel it, and you don’t notice it. But it sits alongside everything else this job brings. And the more you understand that your health is shaped by what accumulates over time, the more intentional your choices become.
Eat well. Eat colourful.
Ivana
