Visualization of particle flux in the human body on the surface of Mars. (41/99)

For a given galactic cosmic ray (GCR) environment, information on the particle flux of protons, alpha particles, and heavy ions, that varies with respect to the topographical altitude on the Martian surface, are needed for planning exploration missions to Mars. The Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) mission with its Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) instrument has been providing precise topographical surface map of the Mars. With this topographical data, the particle flux at the Martian surface level through the CO2 atmospheric shielding for solar minimum and solar maximum conditions are calculated. These particle flux calculations are then transported first through an anticipated shielding of a conceptual shelter with several water equivalent shield values (up to 50 g/cm2 of water in steps of 5 g/cm2) considered to represent a surface habitat, and then into the human body. Model calculations are accomplished utilizing the HZETRN, QMSFRG, and SUM-MARS codes. Particle flux calculations for 12 different locations in the human body were considered from skin depth to the internal organs including the blood-forming organs (BFO). Visualization of particle flux in the human body at different altitudes on the Martian surface behind a known shielding is anticipated to provide guidance for assessing radiation environment risk on the Martian surface for future human missions.  (+info)

Space radiation protection: comparison of effective dose to bone marrow dose equivalent. (42/99)

In many instances, bone marrow dose equivalents averaged over the entire body have been used as a surrogate for whole-body dose equivalents in space radiation protection studies. However, career radiation limits for space missions are expressed as effective doses. This study compares calculations of effective doses to average bone marrow dose equivalents for several large solar particle events (SPEs) and annual galactic cosmic ray (GCR) spectra, in order to examine the suitability of substituting bone marrow dose equivalents for effective doses. Organ dose equivalents are computed for all radiosensitive organs listed in NCRP Report 116 using the BRYNTRN and HZETRN space radiation transport codes and the Computerized Anatomical Man (CAM) model. These organ dose equivalents are then weighted with the appropriate tissue weighting factors to obtain effective doses. Various thicknesses of aluminum shielding, which are representative of nominal spacecraft and SPE storm shelter configurations, are used in the analyses. For all SPE configurations, the average bone marrow dose equivalent is considerably less than the calculated effective dose. For comparisons of the GCR, there is less than a ten percent difference between the two methods. In all cases, the gonads made up the largest percentage of the effective dose.  (+info)

Detection of DNA damage induced by space radiation in Mir and space shuttle. (43/99)

Although physical monitoring of space radiation has been accomplished, we aim to measure exact DNA damage as caused by space radiation. If DNA damage is caused by space radiation, we can detect DNA damage dependent on the length of the space flight periods by using post-labeling methods. To detect DNA damage caused by space radiation, we placed fixed human cervical carcinoma (HeLa) cells in the Russian Mir space station for 40 days and in an American space shuttle for 9 days. After landing, we labeled space-radiation-induced DNA strand breaks by enzymatic incorporation of [3H]-dATP with terminal deoxyribo-nucleotidyl transferase (TdT). We detected DNA damage as many grains on fixed silver emulsion resulting from beta-rays emitted from 3H-atoms in the nuclei of the cells placed in the Mir-station (J/Mir mission, STS-89), but detected hardly any in the ground control sample. In the space shuttle samples (S/MM-8), the number of cells having many grains was lower than that in the J/Mir mission samples. These results suggest that DNA damage is caused by space radiation and that it is dependent on the length of the space flight.  (+info)

Mortality from cancer and other causes among airline cabin attendants in Europe: a collaborative cohort study in eight countries. (44/99)

There is concern about the health effects of exposure to cosmic radiation during air travel. To study the potential health effects of this and occupational exposures, the authors investigated mortality patterns among more than 44,000 airline cabin crew members in Europe. A cohort study was performed in eight European countries, yielding approximately 655,000 person-years of follow-up. Observed numbers of deaths were compared with expected numbers based on national mortality rates. Among female cabin crew, overall mortality (standardized mortality ratio (SMR) = 0.80, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.73, 0.88) and all-cancer mortality (SMR = 0.78, 95% CI: 0.66, 0.95) were slightly reduced, while breast cancer mortality was slightly but nonsignificantly increased (SMR = 1.11, 95% CI: 0.82, 1.48). In contrast, overall mortality (SMR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.00, 1.18) and mortality from skin cancer (for malignant melanoma, SMR = 1.93, 95% CI: 0.70, 4.44) among male cabin crew were somewhat increased. The authors noted excess mortality from aircraft accidents and from acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in males. Among airline cabin crew in Europe, there was no increase in mortality that could be attributed to cosmic radiation or other occupational exposures to any substantial extent. The risk of skin cancer among male crew members requires further attention.  (+info)

Occupational radiation dose estimation for Finnish aircraft cabin attendants. (45/99)

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to develop a method for assessing dose radiation on the basis of individual flight history and to estimate whether this method is applicable for cabin attendants without flight log data. METHODS: Questionnaire data were collected to determine attendants' flight history covering up to three decades. Finnair timetables and an expert panel of pilots were used to determine one to four representative flights in five route categories. The cumulative career and annual doses were calculated on the basis of the flight histories and route-specific exposure data. RESULTS: Questionnaire data were obtained from 544 flight attendants. The mean number of active workyears was 10.5 (range 0-30) years, and the mean cosmic radiation dose was 3.2 (range 0-9.5) mSv per active workyear. The mean cumulative career dose for all the cabin attendants was 34.0 (range 0-156.8) mSv. CONCLUSIONS: If no flight log data are available, survey data are needed for individual dose estimation when possible radiation effects on cabin crew are evaluated in epidemiologic studies. This method provides a crude procedure for assessing cosmic radiation exposure among attendants when survey data are missing.  (+info)

Astronaut EVA exposure estimates from CAD model spacesuit geometry. (46/99)

Ongoing assembly and maintenance activities at the International Space Station (ISS) require much more extravehicular activity (EVA) than did the earlier U.S. Space Shuttle missions. It is thus desirable to determine and analyze, and possibly foresee, as accurately as possible what radiation exposures crew members involved in EVAs will experience in order to minimize risks and to establish exposure limits that must not to be exceeded. A detailed CAD model of the U.S. Space Shuttle EVA Spacesuit, developed at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC), is used to represent the directional shielding of an astronaut; it has detailed helmet and backpack structures, hard upper torso, and multilayer space suit fabric material. The NASA Computerized Anatomical Male and Female (CAM and CAF) models are used in conjunction with the space suit CAD model for dose evaluation within the human body. The particle environments are taken from the orbit-averaged NASA AP8 and AE8 models at solar cycle maxima and minima. The transport of energetic particles through space suit materials and body tissue is calculated by using the NASA LaRC HZETRN code for hadrons and a recently developed deterministic transport code, ELTRN, for electrons. The doses within the CAM and CAF models are determined from energy deposition at given target points along 968 directional rays convergent on the points and are evaluated for several points on the skin and within the body. Dosimetric quantities include contributions from primary protons, light ions, and electrons, as well as from secondary brehmsstrahlung and target fragments. Directional dose patterns are displayed as rays and on spherical surfaces by the use of a color relative intensity representation.  (+info)

Germ cell mutagenesis in medaka fish after exposures to high-energy cosmic ray nuclei: A human model. (47/99)

Astronauts beyond the Earth's orbit are exposed to high-energy cosmic-ray nuclei with high values of linear energy transfer (LET), resulting in much more biological damage than from x-rays or gamma-rays and may result in mutations and cancer induction. The relative biological effectiveness of these nuclei depends on the LET, rising to as high as approximately 50 at LET values of approximately 100-200 keV/microm. An endpoint of concern is germ cell mutations passed on to offspring, arising from exposure to these nuclei. A vertebrate model for germ cell mutation is Medaka fish (Oryzias latipes). We exposed wild type males to doses of 1 GeV per nucleon Fe nuclei or to 290 MeV per nucleon C nuclei. They were mated to females with recessive mutations at five-color loci. The transparent embryos from >100 days of mating (representing exposed sperm, spermatids, or spermatogonia) were observed so as to detect dominant lethal mutations and total color mutations, even though the embryos might not hatch. The relative number of mutant embryos as a function of dose were compared with those induced by gamma-rays. The relative biological effectiveness values for dominant lethal mutations and total color mutations for exposed sperm and spermatids were 1.3-2.1 for exposure to C nuclei and 1.5-3.0 for exposure to Fe nuclei. (The spermatogonial data were uncertain.) These low values, and the negligible number of viable mutations, compared with those for mutations in somatic cells and for neoplastic transformation, indicate that germ cell mutations arising from exposures to cosmic ray nuclei are not a significant hazard to astronauts.  (+info)

The biological effects of space radiation during long stays in space. (48/99)

Many space experiments are scheduled for the International Space Station (ISS). Completion of the ISS will soon become a reality. Astronauts will be exposed to low-level background components from space radiation including heavy ions and other high-linear energy transfer (LET) radiation. For long-term stay in space, we have to protect human health from space radiation. At the same time, we should recognize the maximum permissible doses of space radiation. In recent years, physical monitoring of space radiation has detected about 1 mSv per day. This value is almost 150 times higher than that on the surface of the Earth. However, the direct effects of space radiation on human health are currently unknown. Therefore, it is important to measure biological dosimetry to calculate relative biological effectiveness (RBE) for human health during long-term flight. The RBE is possibly modified by microgravity. In order to understand the exact RBE and any interaction with microgravity, the ISS centrifugation system will be a critical tool, and it is hoped that this system will be in operation as soon as possible.  (+info)