Title: Peculiar low-radiation effects as a risk factor: assessment of organism viability in model experiments with Daphnia magna

Authors: Elena I. Sarapultseva, Irena B. Bychkovskaya

Addresses: Institute of Nuclear Power Engineering, National Research Nuclear University 'MEPhI', Studgorodok-1, Obninsk, Kaluga region, 249040, Russia. ' Nikiforov Russian Center of Russia, World Health Organization Collaborating Center, Lebedeva, 4/2, St.Petersburg, 194044, Russia

Abstract: In model experiments on the crayfish Daphnia magna Straus, the importance of peculiar disturbing cellular effects of low radiation was studied. We showed that even at a dose of 0.1 Gy, which is a thousand times lower than predicted as lethal (100 Gy), the probability of the animals| death increases. The process was registered for the greater part of Daphnia|s lifetime. The frequency of death of irradiated animals did not increase with doses increasing from 1 to 20 Gy. Because cellular dose-independent effects were found on the subjects of various species (including rats), we decided that these effects may affect the viability of mammals even at low doses of radiation.

Keywords: ionising radiation; low doses; dose-independent effects; lethality; invertebrate aquatic organisms; radioecology safety; environmental risk; low radiation; crayfish; Daphnia magna; mammals; mortality prediction.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLR.2010.032766

International Journal of Low Radiation, 2010 Vol.7 No.1, pp.1 - 9

Published online: 20 Apr 2010 *

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