Cosmic Radiation Exposure and Health Risks for Passengers on Flights Over Nigeria

This study calculated the absorbed dose and effective doses of cosmic radiation at an aviation altitude of 12 km over Nigeria. We considered galactic cosmic rays (GCR), solar energetic particles (SEP), and atmospheric cosmic rays (ACR). The results indicate that dose rates increase with altitude and latitude, reaching a maximum of 1.93 μSv/h during solar minimum and 1.63 μSv/h during solar maximum. The calculations show that a passenger flying 200 hours per year between Abuja and Lagos would accumulate 0.39 mSv/year of cosmic rays. Although this is less than the recommended dose of 1 mSv/year for non-radiation-exposed persons, passengers travelling at the same rate would accumulate 1.55 mSv in four years. This long-term exposure could be detrimental to health, potentially leading to tissue degenerative diseases and cancer. The results of this study provide insights for assessing and mitigating radiation exposure risks in aviation