CEEMECS'13

U.K.F College Of Engineering Presents " CEEMECS'13 " on this FEb.25,26,27 

Flying and Radiation Risk

At the high altitudes and latitudes commercial airlines fly, crews are subjected to higher-than-normal radiation levels from the sun and cosmic rays. Physicist Robert Barish believes airline crew members are exposing themselves to more radiation than almost any other occupation and is calling for the airline industry to better educate workers about radiation.

NEW YORK--Most careers have an occupational hazard, but frequent fliers may be exposed to cosmic radiation and not even know it.

We all know the risks when we fly, but one risk we don't know about comes from what's in the sky. Captain Joyce May, a commercial airline pilot, says, "By the time you're at normal jet cruising altitude of, say, 39,000 feet, the total radiation is about 64 times greater than what it is at sea level."

May fears fellow crewmembers and frequent business fliers don't know the risk of cosmic radiation from solar flares. She says, "Aircrew members, by-and-large, are unaware of this issue."

Robert Barish, physicist and author of "The Invisible Passenger: Radiation Risks For People Who Fly," says, "The sun is really a big thermo-nuclear device." Barish believes airline crewmembers are exposing themselves to more radiation than almost any other occupation. He says, "People who work in the nuclear power industry on an average basis are getting 1.6. There are people who fly in airplanes who are getting 2 or 3 or 4 milliSieverts per year. So they are truly radiation workers."

Everyone is exposed to some radiation every day. The sun constantly emits charged particles that intensify during solar flares. Normally, the earth's atmosphere absorbs much of this, but at the high altitudes and latitudes airliners fly, crews are subjected to higher radiation levels and possibly are at higher risk for developing cancer. In Europe, it is mandatory flight crews be educated about cosmic radiation, but that's not the case in the United States.

The risk is not the same for everyone. Casual fliers have nothing to worry about. Only people who fly at least once or twice a week.

BACKGROUND: Airline pilots and flight crews may be exposed to higher radiation levels and therefore greater risk of developing cancer.

Wheat's Genetic Code Cracked: Draft Sequence Coverage of Genome to Aid Global Food Shortage

ScienceDaily  — A team of UK researchers, funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), has publicly released the first sequence coverage of the wheat genome. The release is a step towards a fully annotated genome and makes a significant contribution to efforts to support global food security and to increase the competitiveness of UK farming.

The genome sequences released comprise five read-throughs of a reference variety of wheat and give scientists and breeders access to 95% of all wheat genes. This is among the largest genome projects undertaken, and the rapid public release of the data is expected to accelerate significantly the use of the information by wheat breeding companies.

The team involved Prof Neil Hall and Dr Anthony Hall at the University of Liverpool, Prof Keith Edwards and Dr Gary Barker at the University of Bristol and Prof Mike Bevan at the John Innes Centre, a BBSRC-funded Institute.

Prof Edwards said: "The wheat genome is five times larger than the human genome and presents a huge challenge for scientists. The genome sequences are an important tool for researchers and for plant breeders and by making the data publicly available we are ensuring this publicly funded research has the widest possible impact."