Sources

Every numeric claim in a FlightRadiation report and on every guide page traces to one of the primary sources listed below. We link to the official publisher where the document is publicly hosted. Where ICRP publications are paywalled, we link to the public abstract page on icrp.org.

Cosmic-radiation transport model

• FAA CARI-7 / CARI-7A — public web tool FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI), Aerospace Medical Research Division Provides per-segment effective dose for any civil flight defined by origin, destination, cruise FL, and date. jag.cami.jccbi.gov/cariprofile.aspx
• Copeland, K. — CARI-7 documentation (DOT/FAA/AM technical reports) FAA CAMI, Oklahoma City, multiple reports 2017–2022 Describes the MCNPX-based Monte Carlo transport methodology, particle production, atmospheric depth model, and validation against measured dose. Tech reports indexed at faa.gov/data_research/.../oamtechreports.
• Friedberg, W., Copeland, K., et al. — CARI series validation papers Health Physics and Radiation Protection Dosimetry, 1989–2018 Successive papers validating CARI-1 through CARI-7 against in-flight neutron and ionising-radiation measurements on commercial routes.

Radiological-protection standards

• ICRP Publication 103 — 2007 Recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection Annals of the ICRP, Volume 37, Numbers 2–4 (2007) The operative ICRP recommendations: tissue weighting factors w_T, occupational limit of 20 mSv/yr averaged over 5 years with no single year exceeding 50 mSv, public limit of 1 mSv/yr, fetus protection (1 mSv across the remainder of declared pregnancy). icrp.org publication abstract
• ICRP Publication 132 — Radiological Protection from Cosmic Radiation in Aviation Annals of the ICRP, Volume 45, Number 1 (2016) Specific guidance for protecting aircrew and frequent fliers from cosmic radiation: dose-assessment methods, route management, special protection for pregnant crew. icrp.org publication abstract
• NCRP Report 132 — Radiation Protection Guidance for Activities in Low-Earth Orbit National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (2000) Although titled for LEO, NCRP 132 also defines the 6 mSv/yr action level for aircrew that the FAA adopted via AC 120-61B. ncrponline.org report listing
• NCRP Report 160 — Ionizing Radiation Exposure of the Population of the United States NCRP (2009) Source of the US-population background-dose baseline (about 6.2 mSv/yr total, of which roughly 0.33 mSv is cosmic at ground level), used to contextualise flight dose. ncrponline.org report listing

FAA regulatory and advisory material

• FAA Advisory Circular 120-61B — In-Flight Radiation Exposure Federal Aviation Administration, 2014 (most recent revision) Recommends that air carriers provide aircrew with information about galactic cosmic radiation and SPE exposure, and recommends a 6 mSv/yr action level. FAA AC 120-61B
• 14 CFR Part 121.471 — Flight time limitations US Federal Aviation Regulations, current edition Sets flight-time limitations for flag and supplemental operations; we cite it when computing typical annual flight-hour exposure for line aircrew. eCFR §121.471

Space weather and solar particle events

• NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, ongoing Primary source for real-time SPE alerts (S-scale 1–5), GOES proton flux, and the Oulu / Climax neutron-monitor data used to characterise solar modulation of GCR. swpc.noaa.gov
• NOAA SWPC S-scale (Solar Radiation Storm scale) NOAA SWPC Defines storm levels S1 (minor) through S5 (extreme) by 10-MeV proton flux. We reference it when discussing in-flight SPE risk. swpc.noaa.gov/noaa-scales-explanation

Pregnancy and obstetric guidance

• ACOG Committee Opinion 656 — Guidelines for Diagnostic Imaging During Pregnancy and Lactation American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 2016 (reaffirmed) Reference for the obstetric position that cumulative fetal exposure below 50 mGy has not been associated with an increase in fetal anomalies or pregnancy loss; we contextualise this against the much lower ICRP-103 occupational fetus limit of 1 mSv. acog.org committee opinion 656

Health-effects evidence base

• BEIR VII Phase 2 — Health Risks from Exposure to Low Levels of Ionizing Radiation National Research Council of the National Academies, 2006 Reference for lifetime attributable risk (LAR) coefficients per sievert; we cite BEIR VII when readers ask what a given annual dose means for cancer risk. nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11340
• NIOSH Flight Attendant Health Study (Pinkerton et al.) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 2014–2018 Cohort study comparing cancer incidence among US cabin crew with the general population; used when discussing the empirical (rather than modelled) evidence on aircrew long-term health. cdc.gov/niosh/topics/flightcrew

Geographic and routing references

• OpenFlights airports database OpenFlights.org, open-data IATA / ICAO / lat-long table for airport lookup. openflights.org/data.html
• International Geomagnetic Reference Field (IGRF) IAGA Working Group V-MOD, current generation Source for geomagnetic-latitude calculations used in polar-route attribution. ngdc.noaa.gov/IAGA/vmod/igrf.html

Last reviewed 30 June 2026