New study links cosmic radiation to higher cancer death risk in flight crews

flight attendants and pilots are at the highest risk of dying from radiation-related cancers – even more than people who work with radioactive materials, according to a new study.radiation" class="entity-link entity-topic" data-entity-id="188043" data-entity-type="topic">cosmic radiation comes from space. Only a small amount reaches the Earth’s surface, but exposure is greater for people flying at high altitudes.There has been limited evidence from small studies suggesting that the exposure translates to higher cancer death rates among people who fly often – particularly pilots and flight attendants. The new study “brings important new evidence to bear on this question”, two Australian radiation experts who were not involved in the research wrote in an accompanying commentary.