Low blood cell counts in wild Japanese monkeys after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster

Ochiai, Kazuhiko; Hayama, Shin-ichi; Nakiri, Sachie; Nakanishi, Setsuko; Ishii, Naomi; Uno, Taiki; Kato, Takuya; Konno, Fumiharu; Kawamoto, Y.; Tsuchida, Shuichi; Omi, Toshinori

doi:10.1038/srep05793

Cited by 69 publications

(55 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…; Ochiai et al . ), the barn swallow (a decrease in number) (Bonisoli‐Alquati et al . ) and the goshawk (a reproductive difficulty) (Murase et al .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geographical distribution of morphological abnormalities and wing color pattern modifications of the pale grass blue butterfly in northeastern Japan

Hiyama

Taira

Iwasaki

et al. 2017

Entomological Science

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The pale grass blue butterfly Zizeeria maha has been used as an environmental indicator to evaluate the biological impacts of the Fukushima nuclear accident. A high morphological abnormality rate (AR) of this butterfly was detected in 2011 from radioactively contaminated areas at 37–38°N. However, the geographical AR distribution has not been documented for the entirety of northeastern Japan. Additionally, the geographical distribution of the wing color pattern modification rate (MR) of temperature‐shock type remains undocumented. Here, we collected adult butterflies from many localities in northeastern Japan in 2014 and examined the local AR and MR. Both AR and MR were generally low throughout the 44 local populations surveyed. Latitudinal AR and MR distributions indicated a gap zone at approximately 39°N. The mean AR and the mean MR of the populations south of the gap zone were low (AR = 3.0%, MR = 1.1%), whereas those of the northern populations were relatively high (AR = 10.6%, MR =10.3%). Logistic regression analyses revealed that abnormalities and modifications were associated with temperature‐related variables. We conclude that abnormalities and modifications are generally rare, but that their rates are higher in the northern populations than in the southern ones. These results, along with evidence from other studies, strongly suggest that the high AR detected in 2011 from contaminated areas was induced by anthropogenic radioactive mutagens. This study presents a basic dataset of the current wildlife state of Z. maha in northeastern Japan, which facilitates a future use of this butterfly species as an environmental indicator.

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“…; Ochiai et al . ), the barn swallow (a decrease in number) (Bonisoli‐Alquati et al . ) and the goshawk (a reproductive difficulty) (Murase et al .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geographical distribution of morphological abnormalities and wing color pattern modifications of the pale grass blue butterfly in northeastern Japan

Hiyama

Taira

Iwasaki

et al. 2017

Entomological Science

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“…Information on the biological effects of this accident has been accumulating gradually; the accident has likely affected various animals and plants such as birds and insects (Møller et al , ; Mousseau and Møller ), aphids (Akimoto ), rice plants (Hayashi et al ), Japanese monkeys (Ochiai et al ), barn swallows (Bonisoli‐Alquati et al ), goshawks (Murase et al ), wild mice (Kubota et al ), fir trees (Watanabe et al ), and the pale grass blue butterflies. In contrast, there are reports that detected no effects in bull and mouse testes (Yamashiro et al ; Okano et al ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fukushima's lessons from the blue butterfly: A risk assessment of the human living environment in the post-Fukushima era

Otaki

2016

Integr Environ Assess Manag

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A series of studies on the pale grass blue butterfly that were carried out to assess the biological effects of the Fukushima nuclear accident teach 3 important lessons. First, it is necessary to have an environmental indicator species, such as the pale grass blue butterfly in Japan, that is common (not endangered), shares a living environment (air, water, and soil) with humans, and is amenable to laboratory experiments. The monitoring of such indicator species before and immediately after a nuclear accident likely reflects acute impacts caused by initial exposure. To assess transgenerational and chronic effects, continuous monitoring over time is encouraged. Second, it is important to understand the actual health status of a polluted region and comprehend the whole picture of the pollution impacts, rather than focusing on the selected effects of radiation alone. In our butterfly experiments, plant leaves from Fukushima were fed to larval butterflies to access whole-body effects, focusing on survival rate and morphological abnormalities (rather than focusing on a specific disease or biochemical marker). Our results revealed that ionizing radiation is unlikely to be the exclusive source of environmental disturbances. Airborne particulate matter from a nuclear reactor, regardless of its radioactivity, is likely equally important. Finally, our butterfly experiments demonstrate that there is considerable variation in sensitivities to nuclear pollution within a single species or even within a local population. Based on these results, it is speculated that high pollution sensitivity in humans may be caused not only by low levels of functional DNA repair enzymes but also by immunological responses to particulate matter in the respiratory tract. These lessons from the pale grass blue butterfly should be integrated in studying future nuclear pollution events and decision making on nuclear and environmental policies at the local and international levels in the postFukushima era. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2016;12:667-672. © 2016 SETAC.

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“…A study on earthworms also demonstrated that animals from sites where radiation level was as low as 2.8 μSv/h had higher DNA damage than animals from control sites22. A recent study of wild Japanese macaques ( Macaca fuscata ) found that individuals from Fukushima had lower white blood cell (WBCs) and red blood cell counts (RBCs), lower hemoglobin concentration and lower hematocrit values than those sampled in the Shimokita peninsula, at a distance of 400 km from the FDNPP23. Vitamin A levels of streaked shearwaters ( Calonectris leucomelas ) sampled in colonies exposed to contamination from the FDNPP were lower than in animals from a colony that was not reached by the plume24.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…With a few notable exceptions162324, all studies conducted so far have at most analyzed the concentrations of radioisotopes in the tissues of organisms, but neglected the assessment of markers of their potential biological effects. The results that we describe represent the first extensive investigation of the potential genotoxicity of measured radiation exposure in any wild population of birds from the Fukushima region.…”

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confidence: 99%

Abundance and genetic damage of barn swallows from Fukushima

Bonisoli‐Alquati

Koyama

Tedeschi

et al. 2015

Sci Rep

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A number of studies have assessed or modeled the distribution of the radionuclides released by the accident at the Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP). Few studies however have investigated its consequences for the local biota. We tested whether exposure of barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) nestlings to low dose ionizing radiation increased genetic damage to their peripheral erythrocytes. We estimated external radiation exposure by using thermoluminescent dosimeters, and by measuring radioactivity of the nest material. We then assessed DNA damage by means of the neutral comet assay. In addition, we conducted standard point-count censuses of barn swallows across environmental radiation levels, and estimated their abundance and local age ratio. Radioactivity of nest samples was in the range 479–143,349 Bq kg−1, while external exposure varied between 0.15 and 4.9 mGy. Exposure to radioactive contamination did not correlate with higher genetic damage in nestlings. However, at higher levels of radioactive contamination the number of barn swallows declined and the fraction of juveniles decreased, indicating lower survival and lower reproduction and/or fledging rate. Thus, genetic damage to nestlings does not explain the decline of barn swallows in contaminated areas, and a proximate mechanism for the demographic effects documented here remains to be clarified.

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Low blood cell counts in wild Japanese monkeys after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster

Cited by 69 publications

References 15 publications

Geographical distribution of morphological abnormalities and wing color pattern modifications of the pale grass blue butterfly in northeastern Japan

Geographical distribution of morphological abnormalities and wing color pattern modifications of the pale grass blue butterfly in northeastern Japan

Fukushima's lessons from the blue butterfly: A risk assessment of the human living environment in the post-Fukushima era

Abundance and genetic damage of barn swallows from Fukushima

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