The airline pilot operates in an environment with exposure to circadian dysrhythmia, chronic fatigue, reduced atmospheric pressure, mild hypoxia, low humidity, and exposure to sound, vibration, radiation (both ionizing and non-ionizing), and electromagnetic fields. These occupational exposures present physiological challenges to their long-term health.
In particular, exposure to ionizing radiation and its carcinogenic/mutagenic potential has received considerable attention. Whereas annual exposures for ground based radiation workers have been successfully reduced, airline flight crew exposures remain at levels substantially above those of other radiation-exposed workers and are increasing with modern flight operations.
