Neutron flow exposure as a test for survival of Artemia Salina spores

Abstract

Live and heat-inactivated Artemia salina spores (samples with the same mass and filling density) were exposed to a flow of thermal neutrons from a (252)Cf radioactive source at an equivalent dose power of about 1 microSv/h. Irradiation led to a 4-fold acceleration of nauplius development and to modification of the element profiles of live spores. The difference between absorption/diffusion of thermal neutrons by live and dead spores was revealed.

Possible Mechanisms of Relations between the Thermal Neutrons Field and Biosphere

“…According to our data, the specific change in element profiles of A. salina cysts followed by a biological response also appears after other physical action. Particularly, with a monthly cold (−20°S) activation of cyst germination, the copper-zinc ratio significantly changes equimolar, and at the same time, values for the rest of the elements stay unchanged [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13].…”

“…The peculiarity of this decrease was the presence of a kinetic failure lasting 1–3 minutes. The indicated kinetic failure degenerated when dinitrophenol (DNP), the uncoupler of oxidative phosphorylation process, was introduced into the medium, which leads, as is known [ 11 ], to the discharge of transmembrane electrochemical potential (see Table 1 ).…”

Abnormal changes in the density of thermal neutron flux in biocenoses near the earth surface

“…our previous experiments with resting eggs of brine shrimp (Artemia salina) [6]. The shape of these dependences probably depends on the number and composition of species in the biocenosis.…”

“…Moreover, it increases by many times during solar flares. Previous studies revealed the existence of strong biological responses to ultraweak fluxes of thermal neutrons (V. V. Lednev et al) [1,6,11]. These data suggest that thermal neutrons has a function of messengers, which allows the perception of astrogeophysical events by living organisms.…”

“…Published data show that the thermal neutron radiation capture cross-section for protium is one-fourth of the total scattering cross-section [7]. The biological effect of ultraweak thermal neutron fluxes was detected in various organisms [1,6,11]. Corpuscular radiation of this type may serve as one of the major intermediates in the response of living organisms to astrogeophysical events.…”