Effects of historic radiation dose on the frequency of sex-linked recessive lethals in Drosophila populations following the Chernobyl nuclear accident

Unusual evolution of tree frog populations in the Chernobyl exclusion zone

“…The positive correlation between mitochondrial nucleotide diversity and ATDRs (currently ranging in the frogs samples at the CEZ from 0.007 to 22.4 µGy.h -1 ) is in agreement with an effect of ionizing radiation on genetic diversity, but there is no significant correlation between mitochondrial haplotype genetic diversity and ATDRs contrary to the results of Baker et al on bank voles between haplotype genetic diversity and ambient dose rate 47 . The ATDR seems to be the most relevant dose rate estimator for a population over a time period, but it does not account for exposure of previous generations that occurred since the accident, even though possible transgenerational effects [90][91][92] and evolutionary processes should be dependant of these historical doses. The measured mitochondrial substitutions may not only be caused by current exposure to artificial radionuclides, but may be also the result of mutations accumulated by individuals exposed to ionizing radiation in previous generations.…”

“…107 from a spatial database using a geometric mean over a 400m radius area centred on each population location and using a time correction, and water activities were calculated using soil activities and distribution coefficients estimated for the Glubokoye lake 108 . In addition, frog activities (in Bq.kg -1 ) were estimated for each individual in femur bones for 90 Sr, and in leg muscle for 137 Cs in the IRL-SSRI Laboratory (Slavutych, Ukraine), and then reconstructed for the total frog knowing the total frog mass and the relative mass of bones (10%) and muscles (69%) . A Canberra-Packard gamma-spectrometer with a high purity germanium (HPGe) detector (GC 3019) was used for measuring 137 Cs sample activity concentrations and a Beta-spectrometer EXPRESS-01 was used for measuring 90 Sr sample activity concentrations.…”

“…In addition, frog activities (in Bq.kg -1 ) were estimated for each individual in femur bones for 90 Sr, and in leg muscle for 137 Cs in the IRL-SSRI Laboratory (Slavutych, Ukraine), and then reconstructed for the total frog knowing the total frog mass and the relative mass of bones (10%) and muscles (69%) . A Canberra-Packard gamma-spectrometer with a high purity germanium (HPGe) detector (GC 3019) was used for measuring 137 Cs sample activity concentrations and a Beta-spectrometer EXPRESS-01 was used for measuring 90 Sr sample activity concentrations. For a more detailed description of measurement method of activity concentration see Beresford et al, 2020 110 .…”

“…4 and 5). Only the activity of 90 Sr and 137 Cs in frogs was measured, but the potential contribution of other less abundant radionuclides ( 241 Am, 238 Pu, 239 Pu) to the total dose rate was estimated, leading to confirm their minor contribution to the total dose rate (on average less than a quarter of the total dose rate; see Supplementary Table 9, 10, 11 and Fig. 6).…”

“…6). The total dose rate we assessed could potentially be slightly underestimated as other radionuclides than 137 Cs and 90 Sr were not included in the dose reconstruction. Nevertheless, in the CEZ the soil activity of 90 Sr and 137 Cs is correlated to the activity of other less abundant radionuclides 68 as for the body activity of organisms such as small mammals 112 , thus our ATDR descriptor based on 90 Sr and 137 Cs is reliable for statistical tests.…”