 Poster: A snowHead
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Heard on a science podcast that exposure to cosmic radiation during a 7-hour flight (at 30,000 feet/9,000 metres) equals the dose of radiation received from a single chest X-ray.
Now, the following calculation is inherently flawed because the amount of cosmic radiation exposure at one-quarter of 9,000m isn't exactly one-quarter of a chest X-ray due to the proportionate thickening of the atmosphere the closer you get to sea level but I'll park that for now.
Since I generally ski at altitudes averaging 2,250 metres at an average of 5 hours per day over an average of 50 days per season, I am effectively being exposed to the equivalent of 8.9 chest X-rays worth of radiation each season (ignoring the flaw mentioned above).
Am not concerned about this but it does make you wonder how much radiation instructors, mountain guides and seasonnaires are exposed to 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I suggest you ask this question on TGR. This will help answer two of your recent threads 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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So why are all pilots not riddled with the big C?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Frosty the Snowman, lead lined jockstraps?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Frosty the Snowman, most journalists, and some scientists, need to think more like you. A study may show a statistically significant increased risk; which doesn't mean to say the risk is significant.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Zero-G, Probably not as much as the pilots 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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most of the frequent business travellers I knew had a greater chance of dying of cirrhosis of the liver than any cosmic radiation-induced cancer.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Zero-G, I have a feeling that your maths isn't that far off when you reach the figure of 8.9 possibly more by luck than judgement.
Anyway, some very basic extrapolation from the linkAlastair Pink posted would suggest that your 8.9 (lets call it 9 to make it easy) chest -xrays is a dose of 0.18 mSv and 100 mSv causes an increase of 1% cancer cases in a population then your exposure causes an increase in incidence of 0.002% which is pretty much unmeasurable.
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I'm more likely to develop some form of cancer from living in central London and breathing the polluted air than from exposure to cosmic radiation during my own limited hours at altitude.
Looking at the table linked from Alastair Pink's link, if you do spend a lifetime at altitude (which equates to about ~300 chest X-rays or 6.17 mSv per year for an average lifespan of 70 years - figure was halved to allow for time spent at lower altitudes) then you have nothing to worry about, it seems. Right, I'm off to buy that mountain hut 
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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halfhand, what's this 'non-apres vs apres post count' thing you're talking about? Is there a prize for increasing one over the other or does it count towards some esoteric post count fu?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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FAQ
) I don't think you need worry. 
