In-Flight UV-A Exposure of Commercial Airline Pilots

Area of Science:

• Occupational health
• Aviation medicine
• Photobiology

Background:

• Pilot occupational health requires understanding UV exposure risks for ocular and skin conditions.
• Assessing UV exposure is crucial for pilots flying internationally.
• Previous studies have not fully quantified in-flight UV exposure across different seasons.

Purpose of the Study:

• To measure pilot UV exposure on short-haul flights.
• To compare in-flight UV doses with established guidelines and recreational exposure.
• To inform risk assessment for pilot-related pathologies.

Main Methods:

• Observational study of 322 Monarch Airlines flights (Airbus A321-231, A320-214) from UK airports to 31 destinations.
• UV exposure measured over 12 months (September 2016-August 2017).
• Erythema effective and UV-A doses compared against ICNIRP guidance and UK office worker recreational exposure.

Main Results:

• Erythema effective radiant doses remained below 0.1 SED for all flights.
• UV-A exposure was generally low, but exceeded ICNIRP guidance on 27 single-sector flights without eye protection.
• Average monthly UV exposures were significantly lower than weekend recreational exposures.

Conclusions:

• Cockpit UV exposure is influenced by sunlight and flight duration.
• Cumulative flight time, destinations, and windshield UV attenuation are key factors in risk assessment.
• Further consideration of leisure and recreational UV exposure is necessary for a comprehensive occupational risk analysis.