In the future, the Korea Meteorological Administration will issue alerts regarding cosmic radiation along the Arctic route. If cosmic radiation is severe enough to impact the safety of crew members or passengers flying on aircraft along the Arctic route, they will be notified in advance to change their flight path. However, there is no need to avoid boarding planes. Unless solar activity is unprecedentedly intense, the cosmic radiation that passengers receive is very minimal and does not pose a problem.
At the end of last month, the Korea Meteorological Administration revised the space weather forecast and alert regulations to include the effective dose of cosmic radiation along the Arctic route in the scope of alerts and forecasts. The Korea Meteorological Administration issues forecasts and alerts for space weather, similar to how it does for regular weather forecasts.
For example, notifying about solar winds generated by the influence of solar sunspot activity is also a role of the Korea Meteorological Administration's space alerts and forecasts. Solar wind, a flow of high-energy particles coming from the sun, affects the Earth's magnetic field and causes various damages.
The addition of the effective dose of cosmic radiation to the scope of alerts and forecasts was prompted by concerns about the radiation safety of airline crew members. Cosmic radiation is primarily caused by galactic radiation from supernova explosions coming from outside the solar system and solar radiation entering Earth due to solar sunspot activity. Most cosmic radiation is bounced back by the Earth's magnetic field and atmosphere, but some reach the surface.
General citizens need not worry about cosmic radiation forecasts. The annual allowable dose of artificial radiation exposure for the general public in Korea is 1 millisievert (mSv). Sievert is a unit that indicates the amount of radiation affecting living organisms, and millisievert is one-thousandth of a sievert. The allowable dose for artificial radiation exposure is a figure excluding natural and medical radiation.
According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the annual radiation exposure for people in Korea during daily activities is 3.8 mSv, while the global average is 2.4 mSv. Natural radiation comes from radioactive materials found in rocks and soil. The impact from space is 0.3 to 0.4 mSv, and the radiation dose from a single chest X-ray is 0.1 mSv. This means that the general public need not worry about cosmic radiation.
The issue arises for crew members who frequently board aircraft. While flying on international flights at altitudes above 10 km, the impact of cosmic radiation increases. The radiation dose when flying from Incheon Airport to New York is around 0.07 to 0.085 mSv. Those who fly occasionally face no issues, but frequent travelers like crew members could be at risk. According to the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, the maximum radiation exposure dose for airline crew members averaged 5.42 mSv over the five years from 2017 to 2021.
Particularly, the Arctic route passing through the polar regions experiences higher radiation exposure than other routes. Generally, the impact of cosmic radiation in polar regions can increase by up to five times. The Arctic region has a weakened magnetic shield, allowing more cosmic radiation to enter the Earth.
Beginning in 2023, the government implemented a revision to the 'Radiation Safety Management Act' to strengthen the management of cosmic radiation exposure for airline crew members. This law is intended to ensure the safety of airline crew members who are frequently exposed to cosmic radiation. In line with this, the Korea Meteorological Administration has added the effective dose of cosmic radiation along the Arctic route to its alerts and forecasts.
The criteria for alerts specify that if the effective dose of cosmic radiation exceeds 20 micro-sieverts (μSv) per hour, a warning will be issued, and if it exceeds 30 μSv, an alert will be issued. A micro-sievert is one-millionth of a sievert. If a warning or alert is issued, flight altitude may be adjusted or alternative routes may be recommended.
The Korea Meteorological Administration noted, "Previously, space weather alerts were primarily issued for radio or equipment malfunctions, but with the addition of the effective dose criteria for cosmic radiation along the Arctic route, we have strengthened support for the safety of airline crew members and passengers."