This work is devoted to studying the alpha activity distribution of natural radionuclides in boarding schools located near zones of tectonic faults. There are many tectonic faults in the Almaty and this is the basis for referring the southern capital of Kazakhstan to the radon-hazardous territories. As a result of radiometric measurements a 2D-topology of the alpha-radiation flux density distribution from the distance to the tectonic fault was found. Based on the measurements results the coefficient of radon concentration from the distance to the tectonic rupture was found. Using the obtained pattern, it is possible to plot the dependence of volumetric alpha activity for other schools, if their distances from the tectonic fault are known. In addition, interest in biomedical and ecogenetic effects of radon and its decay products has grown considerably in the last few years. These effects have been investigated in biotests on Drosophila’s two systems. It was found that alpha-particles, with the help of which the situation in radon-hazardous territories was simulated, possess mutagenic influence manifested mainly in formation of morphoses or deformities.
In the human environment, there are many factors that can cause genotoxic and mutagenic effects and one of them is ionizing radiation. Radioactive substances like radon, thorium, radium and their decay products during decomposition are able to emit not only highly penetrating gamma radiation, but also form large heavy alpha-particles. Alpha-particles have a low penetrating power, but high ionization energy, about 10 times greater than gamma-rays. Consequently, we researched genotoxic effects of alpha-radiation using a test-system with reporter genes on the Drosophila melanogaster. In nature, the main source of alpha-particles is colorless radioactive gas radon, its isotopes and daughter decay products. It is technically difficult to create sufficiently intense and directed beams of α-radiation on the long-lived radon isotope-222 Rn. Therefore, for experiments was chosen the 238 Pu (Plutonium) isotope, which has the necessary α-line at decay equal to 5.5 MeV. The genotoxic activity of alpha-particles was tested on Drosophila melanogaster with genotype containing genes of luminous proteins. Working of the genetic construction based on the GAL4-UAS system, often used in research to determine gene expression. Genotype also included GADD45 protein gene and GFP gene (green fluorescent protein). This genes combination allows to observe glow of Drosophila organs and tissues after stress factor impact. The sensitivity of construction was checked by chemical mutagen cisplatin, which led to the larvae death at high concentrations, and caused glow of organs at low concentrations. The larvae were exposed to alpha-radiation for 20 hours. Preparations were analyzed on a light microscope with a blue filter and glow of the larval organs was observed. The glow intensity was depending from radiation source. In other words, higher radiation dose caused brighter glow, which correlates with synthesis of luminous protein level. This proves that alpha-radiation from radon and its decay daughter products has a genetic effect.
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