New findings about exposure to cosmic radiation are fueling efforts among U.S. airline crews to secure regulatory protection similar to that mandated in the European Union. According the British journal The Lancet, flight crews and others who fly frequently are being exposed to enough cosmic radiation to cause slightly higher than average rates of acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplasia, both cancerous disorders of the bone marrow. "Until relatively recently, pilots have been unaware of the problem of cosmic radiation and flying," said American Airline pilot Joyce May. Other recent studies point to the problem as well, however, which the European Community has been on the forefront of addressing, said May. But while the Federal Aviation Authority acknowledged as early as 1967 that airline crews receive the among the highest doses of radiation on the job, said May, "American regulatory authority lags behind Europe in monitoring and regulating exposure." May is on the aeromedical committee on the union Allied Pilot's Association. Earth's atmosphere works as insulation against the bombardment of high-energy rays from space. Five miles above the planet surface may be another story, however. The Lancet study, conducted by a Danish research team specializing in aviation medicine, found damage to chromosome 7 seen in the airline crew is identical to that seen in patients undergoing radiation therapy for cancer. Researchers believe that cosmic radiation absorbed while flying is the cause of the chromosome damage in flight crew - pilots and flight attendants alike. Airline flight crews are urging the FAA to consider them "radiation workers" and to begin monitoring exposure of crew to in-flight radiation, said May. As of May 2000, European carriers are required to inform their aircrews of the radiation doses they receive, and the related risks. Furthermore, airline companies in Europe, must now change flying schedules as necessary to reduce exposure levels, especially for pregnant cabin or cockpit crewmembers, said May. But "similar protections are unlikely to materialize in the U.S. unless there is a vocal outcry from cockpit and cabin crews," May added. In 1990, the National Academy of Sciences issued a report concluding that health risks - specifically, attributable deaths - from low levels of ionizing radiation were fourfold more than previously estimated. Shortly thereafter, the International Commission on Radiological Protection lowered its annual dose limit by over half. "The trend in dose limits for radiation has always been that as more information is gained, the recommended limits for exposure keep getting lowered," said May. While the U.S. regulatory situation remains a "quagmire," the FAA is conducting four studies with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health that examine cancer rates, reproductive problems experienced by female flight attendants, radiation levels and other harmful contaminants on aircraft. In addition, the Airline Pilot's Association International with the Medical University of South Carolina has begun extensive research into these occupational exposures. In the meantime, May and colleagues plan to petition American Airlines flight authorities to establish a program of radiation monitoring for all its North American and Asian flights. Cost to the airline would be minimal but effects important.

United Press International