Flight deck magnetic fields in commercial aircraft

Abstract

Background: Airline pilots are exposed to magnetic fields generated by the aircraft's electrical system. The objectives of this study were (1) to directly measure flight deck magnetic fields in terms of personal exposure to the pilots when flying on different aircraft types over a 75-hour flight-duty month, and (2) to compare magnetic field exposures across flight deck types and job titles.

Methods: Measurements were taken using personal dosimeters carried by either the Captain or the First Officer on Boeing 737/200, Boeing 747/400, Boeing 767/300ER, and Airbus 320 aircraft.

Results: Approximately 1,008 block hours were recorded at a sampling frequency of 3 seconds. Total block time exposure to the pilots ranged from a harmonic geometric mean of 6.7 milliGauss (mG) for the Boeing 767/300ER to 12.7 mG for the Boeing 737/200.

Conclusions: Measured flight deck magnetic field levels were substantially above the 0.8-1 mG level typically found in the home or office and suggest the need for further study to evaluate potential health effects of long-term exposure.