The Occupational Disease Review Commission in southern Seoul recently acknowledged the stomach cancer death of an individual referred to only as Mr. Song as an occupational accident. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Nov. 7 (Korea Bizwire) – A man in his 50s who worked as an airline flight attendant for 25 years and succumbed to stomach cancer has now been officially recognized as the victim of an industrial accident caused by cosmic radiation. Previously, cosmic radiation-related accidents among flight attendants had primarily been associated with blood cancers like leukemia.
The Occupational Disease Review Commission in southern Seoul recently acknowledged the stomach cancer death of an individual referred to only as Mr. Song as an occupational accident. Mr. Song had served as a flight attendant for Korean Air, and the decision was made based on a variety of factors.
These factors include the possibility that the radiation exposure he experienced during his career may have been higher than officially measured. Additionally, the irregular eating patterns inherent to long-distance routes were taken into account. The commission concluded that there existed a substantial causal link between Mr. Song’s illness and his job.
During his career, Mr. Song spent an average of 1,220 hours per year flying between 1995 and 2021, with nearly half of this time dedicated to long-haul flights connecting the Americas and Europe. This route passes through the Arctic Circle, an area known for significantly elevated cosmic radiation exposure, exceeding five times the norm.
In April 2021, Mr. Song received a stage 4 stomach cancer diagnosis and tragically passed away the following month. Korean Air disputed the claim, asserting that it had maintained flight attendants’ cumulative radiation exposure below the safety standard of 6 mSv per year and found no evidence of a connection between Mr. Song’s stomach cancer and cosmic radiation.
However, the Korea Worker’s Compensation & Welfare Service did not endorse this argument. The commission believed that the measurement method used by Korean Air (CARI-6M) may have underestimated the cumulative radiation dose. They also considered scientific evidence suggesting that even low doses of radiation exposure below 6 mSv per year can contribute to cancer development.
Additionally, the commission factored in Mr. Song’s irregular diet due to extended flights, a negative Helicobacter pylori test result, no history of drinking or smoking, and the fact that he developed stomach cancer at a relatively young age.
Cosmic radiation comprises galactic radiation from outside our solar system, solar radiation stemming from sunspot activity, and secondary cosmic radiation generated when these radiations interact with atmospheric elements.
The commission believed that the measurement method used by Korean Air (CARI-6M) may have underestimated the cumulative radiation dose. They also considered scientific evidence suggesting that even low doses of radiation exposure below 6 mSv per year can contribute to cancer development. (Image courtesy of Korean Air)
While cosmic radiation typically has minimal effects on our daily lives, it can become a concern during extended periods at high altitudes, such as long-distance air travel. This has prompted ongoing efforts to manage the exposure of airline crews to cosmic radiation.
For occasional passengers, the impact of cosmic radiation is negligible. However, flight attendants, who are constantly in the air, face consistent exposure. According to the Nuclear Safety Commission’s annual report on the safety management of ambient radiation, airline flight attendants’ maximum exposure dose over a five-year span from 2017 to 2021 averaged 5.42 mSv, which is more than five times the general population’s dose limit of 1 mSv.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
