Why flying in a plane could expose you to more radiation than standing next to a nuclear reactor

WE ALL know air travel isn’t without its health hazards. But frequent flyers could find themselves exposed to a danger they might not expect.

FROM the spread of disease to deep vein thrombosis, air travel is not without its health risks.

But a much less commonly known hazard associated with flying is the extensive exposure to radiation.

The Sun reports that air travel takes us significantly closer to the outer limits of the earth’s atmosphere, making us more at risk of exposure to dangerous cosmic radiation.

When we have our feet planted safely on the ground, we are protected from the tiny atom particles bouncing around space at light speed due to our magnetic field.

But when cruising at 39,000 feet, the atomic particles can pummel our own cells if they happen to collide with the Earth’s atmosphere.

According to NASA, people inside a plane at cruising height are significantly more likely to be exposed to energised atoms that leak through the atmosphere.

In fact, the rate of radiation exposure can be so high that airline crew members around the globe are classified as “radiation workers” due to their exposure to cosmic rays.

In the US, workers in this industry have even been recorded as having the highest yearly dose on average out of all radiation workers in the country — even more than people who work at nuclear reactors.

This means that in theory, flying in a plane could expose you to more radiation than physically standing next to a nuclear reactor.

Eddie Semones, a radiation health officer at NASA, said: “Cosmic rays are not a significant exposure risk on the ground.

“You actually get more exposure from the Earth’s natural radioactive material than from galactic cosmic rays.”

This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission.