Abstract
Relatively few experiments have been conducted on the effects to organisms following long-term exposures to low levels of radiation. Even fewer studies have examined the effects of radiological exposures to multiple generations of organisms. Speculations that damage will accumulate and be greater with each passing generation are plausible. Alternative, opposing views that adaptive response and repair mechanisms will counter the effects, such that damage does not increase with each generation, are equally plausible. Few data exist to support one hypothesis over the other, particularly for chronic, low-level exposures to vertebrate organisms. Our research explored exposures of low-dose irradiation to multiple generations of a model vertebrate organism, Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes), one of the most widely used fish in comparative mutagenesis and carcinogenesis studies. A unique outdoor irradiation facility allowed us to examine effects to five generations of medaka that were continuously irradiated to different dose rates. The dose rates bracketed the IAEA guideline for acceptable chronic exposures to aquatic wildlife (10 mGy day−1), and thus were a test to see if the guidelines were applicable for multigenerational exposures. The effects on reproductive endpoints that might influence population dynamics were examined. Our intention was to test the hypothesis that multigenerational exposures to low dose rate irradiation are no more damaging, as measured by reproductive characteristics that could potentially impact a population, than damage incurred from exposure to a single generation. The data suggest that total accumulated dose may be more meaningful than dose rate when trying to predict effects to populations of chronically exposed organisms. Such knowledge is needed because chronic exposure to low levels of radiation is a more likely scenario for nuclear workers, and to wildlife exposed to routine releases from nuclear facilities.
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Acknowledgments
Funding was provided by the Environmental Remediation Sciences Division of the Office of Biological and Environmental Research, U.S. Department of Energy, through Financial Assistance Award DE-FC09-96SR18546 to the University of Georgia Research Foundation. All experimental protocols were approved by the University of Georgia’s Animal Use and Ethics Committee (# A2005-10169). The animal husbandry assistance of Laura Marsh was most appreciated.
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Hinton, T.G., Coughlin, D., Yi, Y., Glenn, T., Zimbrick, J. (2012). Reproductive Effects from Chronic, Multigenerational, Low Dose Rate Exposures to Radiation. In: Mothersill, C., Korogodina, V., Seymour, C. (eds) Radiobiology and Environmental Security. NATO Science for Peace and Security Series C: Environmental Security. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1939-2_19
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