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The effects of aviation travel on the human body. Part three.

14.6k Viper3000ad  4.6 years ago

We often talk about flights, but we have never wondered what causes a flight to the human body. The risks come from exposure to environment, from mechanical stress and from cosmic radiation

In the third part we will talk about the effects from the cosmic radiation

Cosmic radiation is called the particle rain coming from outside sources of the solar system,or the solar system itself. The particles are usually protons, but they can also be larger alpha particles (2 protons and 2 neutrons). The alpha particles have little penetration and have little effect on civil aviation. Protons, however, have a differed story .

As the proton enters the earths atmosphere, it loses some of its energy from interactions with the air molecules. Some of them under appropriate conditions, produce gamma radiation in the process.


Gamma radiation is more penetrating and even though it weakens when it reaches the ground, it causes problems in organisms that fly over 10000 meters. As radiation has significant kinetic energy, it deflects electrons from molecules of the body creating an atypical ionization effect.

The resulting new elements are called "free radicals"and because they have an energy instability, adhere to other molecules by stealing an electron from their outer layer (creating something like covalent bond) This phenomenon also changes the chemical composition of the molecules.

The effect is devastating for cells, by damaging cell membranes, or key cell organs and DNA elements. Depending on the degree of damage some cells die relatively soon, while others mutate.


Passengers who make a long-distance flight generally accept small amounts of radiation, so the problem is not very large. Unfortunately things are not the same for the crew that flies the aircraft, as the effects of radiation are adding. One study has shown that the flight attendants that were pregnant had significantly higher abortion rates in the first trimester, than in the general population. Unfortunately there is still no evidence of long-term cancer attacks in studies, but it is certainly a phenomenon that needs to be analysed more. Staff should be included in the high risk category and receive leaves such as those that have the radiologists.

In closing this mini-series of articles, and after seeing how much inhospitable space and flight can become, we must remember that technology has allowed us to have safe and very long journeys. It is worth spreading the pure idea of aviation, because through it we find solutions in impossible problems.

part1 : https://www.simpleplanes.com/Forums/View/999019/The-effects-of-aviation-travel-on-the-human-body-Part-One
part2 : https://www.simpleplanes.com/Forums/View/1000350/The-effects-of-aviation-travel-on-the-human-body-Part-two

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    14.6k Viper3000ad

    Abortion is a clinical condition (ebryo and placenta death ) and a medical procedure that leads to the same effect . In this case the article and the studie talks about the condition. Perhaps you may prefer the miscarriage term better, however aborion is valid.

    +1 4.6 years ago
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    21.6k F4f879

    @Viper3000ad right, and abortion is voluntary. although that correlation between flight crews and abortions may be true (and if it is it's very interesting), it doesnt have anything to do with the effects of aviation travel on the human body since abortion is a thing people choose to do. it's not something that happens to them because of their job

    4.6 years ago
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    14.6k Viper3000ad

    @F4f879 abortion = death of an embryo, termination of a pregnancy

    4.6 years ago
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    21.6k F4f879

    @Viper3000ad do you know what abortion is?

    4.6 years ago
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    14.6k Viper3000ad

    @BACconcordepilot I think there is no cure, some cells that are in a state of oxidative stress if they no longer receive destructive stimuli can be saved. But beyond that, ribosomes cannot respond to repair. What is the WD-40?

    4.6 years ago
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    14.6k Viper3000ad

    @Thelegitpilot13 Thank you for taking the time to read it. Space medicine is even more exotic. Αt higher levels, cell damage comes directly from the particles; however, free radicals are also produced. Exposure to radiation is the most complex and difficult issue we have to solve if we want to travel beyond our atmosphere. Μaybe we should create some kind of magnetic field around the ship...
    If you have a topic or question you would like to see, feel free to suggest it.

    +1 4.6 years ago
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    14.6k Viper3000ad

    @F4f879 than the general (instead other) population. Thanks for the correction I will fix it in the main article.

    4.6 years ago
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    Sad it has to come to an end, this is really interesting. I didn’t know that the effect of cosmic radiation was more through “Free Radiclal” elements than through it attacking the cell directly.

    4.6 years ago
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    21.6k F4f879

    "flight attendants that were pregnant had significantly higher abortion rates in the first trimester than in the other population"
    .
    what?

    4.6 years ago
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    14.6k Viper3000ad

    @eternalDarkness @mod (or someone else modurator) thanks for new educational tag. :-)

    4.6 years ago
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    14.6k Viper3000ad

    @PositivePlanes Thank you :-)

    4.6 years ago
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    14.6k Viper3000ad

    @aircraftoftheredstar @dimkal

    4.6 years ago
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    14.6k Viper3000ad

    @warhawk95 @freerangedlemon

    4.6 years ago
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    14.6k Viper3000ad

    @Astleyindustries @zoomzoom999 @armyguy1534

    4.6 years ago
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    14.6k Viper3000ad

    @Strikefighter04 @ryn176 @edensk

    4.6 years ago
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    14.6k Viper3000ad

    @thelegitpilot13 @flipposmc @positiveplanes

    4.6 years ago