Chromosomal instability in rodents caused by pollution from Baikonur cosmodrome

Review on the environmental impact of emissions from space launches: a case study for areas affected by the Russian space programme

In this paper, we summarised the main field-based approaches and a large volume of data on the territories affected by the Russian space programme conducted at Plesetsk, Baikonur, and Vostochny cosmodromes. Influence of space transportation on the ozone layer depletion, as well as on environmental and human health, is negligible. The environmental consequences of rocket and space activities within launch pads and the terrestrial drop zones of jettisoned first stages of launch vehicles are allowable. Moreover, it is negligible in the second stage drop zones. Unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine pollution is local and does not result in the formation of ecological disaster zones because ecosystems restore by themselves. Influence of rocket launches on the mesospheric cloud formation is short-time or/and insignificant. The environmental impact of space transportation by the Russian space programme on the terrestrial ecosystems is well-studied. To approve or to disprove these findings similar researches should be carried out in other terrestrial and aquatic drop zones affected due to the space programmes of other countries.

Chromosomal instability--mechanisms and consequences

Chromosomal instability is defined as a state of numerical and/or structural chromosomal anomalies in cells. Numerous studies have documented the incidence of chromosomal instability, which acutely or chronically may lead to accelerated ageing (tissue-wide or even organismal), cancer or other genetic disorders. Potential mechanisms leading to the generation of chromosome-genome instability include erroneous/inefficient DNA repair, chromosome segregation defects, spindle assembly defects, DNA replication stress, telomere shortening/dysfunction - to name a few. Understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms for chromosomal instability in various human cells and tissues will be useful in elucidating the cause for many age associated diseases including cancer. This approach holds a great promise for the cytogenetic assays not only for prognosis but also for diagnostic purposes in clinical settings. In this review, a multi-dimensional approach has been attempted to portray the complexity behind the incidence of chromosome-genome instability including evolutionary implications at the species level for some of the mechanisms of chromosomal instability.