Safe for toddlers to fly to Asia?

Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 2011-03-23 23:55

First, I'd like to thank you for providing this service for the public. Really appreciate your efforts in keeping us informed with hard science!

I was wondering if it's safe for toddlers aged 3-5 to fly to Asia within the next 2 weeks. The route is going north from southern California above the Pacific Ocean, going west around Russia, and then going south over China. The flight would be about 12 hour long, and the plane would fly in 10,000-15,000 feet height.

I understand that children are more vulnerable to radiation, and will receive radiation during a regular 12-hour flight. Do you think that there will be additional radiation from the radioactive particles emitted from the Japanese nuclear plant, as the plant still emits leaks? My children will fly back to the US two and half weeks after they go - so they would be in 24-hour international flights in a three-week period. Is it safe for them to be on the flight?

Thank you very much!

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Sounds like great trip!

Submitted by dchivers on Thu, 2011-03-24 00:24.

Sounds like great trip! Should not be a problem. Also, most flights are at the 35,000 - 40,000 ft level.

Just a thumb rule, you get 1 mrem of dose every 1000 miles flight distance. Every year we get around 200 - 600 mrem of natural dose exposure. This trip would amount to around 15 mrem. This addition is too low to worry about.

Once you go west of Japan, you are on the other side of the weather pattern and I don't think you would have much exposure at all.

Have a good trip!

Thank you! Do you think

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 2011-03-24 00:38.

Thank you! Do you think people in the plane would get radiation from the fallout cloud before they go west of Japan? If yes, what would the dose be?

No. I don't think so.

Submitted by dchivers on Thu, 2011-03-24 00:38.

No. I don't think so.