Galactic Cosmic Radiation Exposure of Pregnant Aircrew Members II
Abstract
In its 1990 recommendation regarding occupational exposure during pregnancy, the International Commission on Radiological Protection apparently assumed that the equivalent dose to a pregnant woman's abdomen is reduced by half in traversing the body to the conceptus. This assumption was tested with respect to galactic cosmic radiation, the principal ionizing radiation to which aircrews are exposed. We calculated the equivalent dose that would be received at depths of 0, 5, 10, and 15 centimeters in a 30-centimeter thick, soft-tissue slab phantom, at several locations in the atmosphere and on two air carrier flights, and found that the dose was almost the same at all the tissue depths studied. Thus, the assumption of considerable shielding of the conceptus by the woman's body is not valid with respect to galactic cosmic radiation. The effective dose of galactic radiation to the mother was found to be a good estimate of the equivalent dose to the conceptus.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2000
- Accession Number
- ADA385597
Entities
People
- Frances E. Duke
- Joyce S. Nicholas
- Keran O'brien
- Kyle Copeland
- Wallace Friedberg
Organizations
- Federal Aviation Administration