1
|
Barker GR, West LJ, Graham JT, Abrahamsen-Mills L, Burke IT. Effect of grain size variation on strontium sorption to heterogeneous aquifer sediments. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2024; 277:107451. [PMID: 38851005 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2024.107451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
Strontium-90 (90Sr) is a major contaminant at nuclear legacy sites. The mobility of 90Sr is primarily governed by sorption reactions with sediments controlled by high surface area phases such as clay and iron oxides. Sr2+ adsorption was investigated in heterogeneous unconsolidated aquifer sediments, analogous to those underlying the UK Sellafield nuclear site, with grainsizes ranging from gravels to clays. Batch sorption tests showed that a linear Kd adsorption model was applicable to all grainsize fractions up to equilibrium [Sr] of 0.28 mmol L-1. Sr2+ sorption values (Kd; Langmuir qmax) correlated well with bulk sediment properties such as cation exchange capacity and surface area. Electron microscopy showed that heterogeneous sediments contained porous sandstone clasts with clay minerals (i.e. chlorite) providing an additional adsorption capacity. Therefore, gravel corrections that assumed that the > 2 mm fractions are inert were not appropriate and underestimated Kd(bulk) adsorption coefficients. However, Kd (<2 mm) values measured from sieved sediment fractions, were effectively adjusted to within error of Kd (bulk) using a surface area dependant gravel correction based on particle size distribution data. Amphoteric pH dependent Sr2+ sorption behaviour observed in batch experiments was consistent with cation exchange modelling between pH 2-7 derived from the measured cation exchange capacities. Above pH 7 model fits were improved by invoking a coupled cation exchange/surface complexation which allowed for addition sorption to iron oxide phases. The overall trends in Sr2+ sorption (at pH 6.5-7) produced by increasing solution ionic strength was also reproduced in cation exchange models. Overall, the results showed that Sr2+ sorption to heterogeneous sediment units could be estimated from Kd (<2 mm) data using appropriate gravel corrections, and effectively modelled using coupled cation exchange and surface complexation processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - James T Graham
- National Nuclear Laboratory Ltd., Sellafield, CA20 1PG, UK.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
2
|
Hinton TG, Anderson D, Bæk E, Baranwal VC, Beasley JC, Bontrager HL, Broggio D, Brown J, Byrne ME, Gerke HC, Ishiniwa H, Lance SL, Lind OC, Love CN, Nagata H, Nanba K, Okuda K, Salbu B, Shamovich D, Skuterud L, Trompier F, Webster SC, Zabrotski V. Fundamentals of wildlife dosimetry and lessons learned from a decade of measuring external dose rates in the field. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2024; 278:107472. [PMID: 38905881 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2024.107472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2024] [Revised: 06/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
Methods for determining the radiation dose received by exposed biota require major improvements to reduce uncertainties and increase precision. We share our experiences in attempting to quantify external dose rates to free-ranging wildlife using GPS-coupled dosimetry methods. The manuscript is a primer on fundamental concepts in wildlife dosimetry in which the complexities of quantifying dose rates are highlighted, and lessons learned are presented based on research with wild boar and snakes at Fukushima, wolves at Chornobyl, and reindeer in Norway. GPS-coupled dosimeters produced empirical data to which numerical simulations of external dose using computer software were compared. Our data did not support a standing paradigm in risk analyses: Using averaged soil contaminant levels to model external dose rates conservatively overestimate the dose to individuals within a population. Following this paradigm will likely lead to misguided recommendations for risk management. The GPS-dosimetry data also demonstrated the critical importance of how modeled external dose rates are impacted by the scale at which contaminants are mapped. When contaminant mapping scales are coarse even detailed knowledge about each animal's home range was inadequate to accurately predict external dose rates. Importantly, modeled external dose rates based on a single measurement at a trap site did not correlate to actual dose rates measured on free ranging animals. These findings provide empirical data to support published concerns about inadequate dosimetry in much of the published Chernobyl and Fukushima dose-effects research. Our data indicate that a huge portion of that literature should be challenged, and that improper dosimetry remains a significant source of controversy in radiation dose-effect research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas G Hinton
- Institute of Environmental Radioactivity, Fukushima University, Fukushima, Japan; CERAD CoE, Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway.
| | - Donovan Anderson
- Institute of Radiation Emergency Medicine, Hirosaki University, Aomori, Japan.
| | - Edda Bæk
- Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, Østerås, Norway.
| | | | - James C Beasley
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Aiken, SC, USA.
| | - Helen L Bontrager
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Aiken, SC, USA.
| | - David Broggio
- Institute for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France.
| | - Justin Brown
- Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, Østerås, Norway.
| | - Michael E Byrne
- School of Natural Resources, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.
| | - Hannah C Gerke
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Aiken, SC, USA.
| | - Hiroko Ishiniwa
- Institute of Environmental Radioactivity, Fukushima University, Fukushima, Japan.
| | - Stacey L Lance
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Aiken, SC, USA.
| | - Ole C Lind
- CERAD CoE, Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway.
| | - Cara N Love
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Aiken, SC, USA.
| | - Hiroko Nagata
- Institute of Environmental Radioactivity, Fukushima University, Fukushima, Japan.
| | - Kenji Nanba
- Institute of Environmental Radioactivity, Fukushima University, Fukushima, Japan.
| | - Kei Okuda
- Faculty of Human Environmental Sciences, Hiroshima Shudo University, Hiroshima, Japan.
| | - Brit Salbu
- CERAD CoE, Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway.
| | | | | | - François Trompier
- Institute for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France.
| | - Sarah C Webster
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Aiken, SC, USA.
| | - Viachaslau Zabrotski
- Republican Center for Hydrometeorology, Control of Radioactive Contamination and Environmental Monitoring (Belhydromet), Minsk, Belarus.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Mishra S, Duarte GT, Horemans N, Ruytinx J, Gudkov D, Danchenko M. Complexity of responses to ionizing radiation in plants, and the impact on interacting biotic factors. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 924:171567. [PMID: 38460702 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024]
Abstract
In nature, plants are simultaneously exposed to different abiotic (e.g., heat, drought, and salinity) and biotic (e.g., bacteria, fungi, and insects) stresses. Climate change and anthropogenic pressure are expected to intensify the frequency of stress factors. Although plants are well equipped with unique and common defense systems protecting against stressors, they may compromise their growth and development for survival in such challenging environments. Ionizing radiation is a peculiar stress factor capable of causing clustered damage. Radionuclides are both naturally present on the planet and produced by human activities. Natural and artificial radioactivity affects plants on molecular, biochemical, cellular, physiological, populational, and transgenerational levels. Moreover, the fitness of pests, pathogens, and symbionts is concomitantly challenged in radiologically contaminated areas. Plant responses to artificial acute ionizing radiation exposure and laboratory-simulated or field chronic exposure are often discordant. Acute or chronic ionizing radiation exposure may occasionally prime the defense system of plants to better tolerate the biotic stress or could often exhaust their metabolic reserves, making plants more susceptible to pests and pathogens. Currently, these alternatives are only marginally explored. Our review summarizes the available literature on the responses of host plants, biotic factors, and their interaction to ionizing radiation exposure. Such systematic analysis contributes to improved risk assessment in radiologically contaminated areas.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shubhi Mishra
- Institute of Plant Genetics and Biotechnology, Plant Science and Biodiversity Centre, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 950 07 Nitra, Slovakia
| | - Gustavo Turqueto Duarte
- Unit for Biosphere Impact Studies, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre SCK CEN, 2400 Mol, Belgium
| | - Nele Horemans
- Unit for Biosphere Impact Studies, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre SCK CEN, 2400 Mol, Belgium; Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Joske Ruytinx
- Department of Bio-engineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Dmitri Gudkov
- Institute of Hydrobiology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 04210 Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Maksym Danchenko
- Institute of Plant Genetics and Biotechnology, Plant Science and Biodiversity Centre, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 950 07 Nitra, Slovakia.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Еrmakova O, Raskosha О. Changes in the structural and functional state of the thyroid gland of small mammals when exposed to low-intensity chronic radiation. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024; 31:34170-34183. [PMID: 38696014 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-33504-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
The study gives a morphofunctional assessment of the state of the thyroid gland of tundra voles (Microtus oeconomus Pall.) in conditions of an increased radiation background (the Ukhta district of the Komi Republic (Russia) and the 30-km zone of the Chernobyl NPP), as well as in an experiment with chronic external gamma irradiation in the low dose range. The work summarizes the experience of more than 35 years of field and laboratory research. The authors have noted the high sensitivity of the thyroid gland to chronic radiation against the general irradiation of the organism both in natural conditions and in the experiment. The repeatability of the observed effects in voles from natural populations and the comparability of some effects with the morphological changes occurring in animals after exposure to ionizing radiation in the experiment indicates the radiation nature of these effects. The tundra voles living in conditions of increased radiation background have been identified for a greater variety of morphological rearrangements in the thyroid parenchyma than the experimental animals. The complex and ambiguous nature of the thyroid gland responses to radiation exposure indicates the possibility of a significant increase in the risk of negative effects of ionizing radiation in contrast with the expected results of biological effects' extrapolation from high to low doses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Olga Еrmakova
- Institute of Biology Federal Research Centre Komi Science Centre of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Kommunisticheskaya 28, Syktyvkar, Russian Federation, 167982
| | - Оksana Raskosha
- Institute of Biology Federal Research Centre Komi Science Centre of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Kommunisticheskaya 28, Syktyvkar, Russian Federation, 167982.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Geras'kin S. Plant adaptation to ionizing radiation: Mechanisms and patterns. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 916:170201. [PMID: 38246389 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Adaptation to environmental stressors is an essential property of plants that allows them, despite an immobile lifestyle, to survive in a changeable environment. The chain of successive events culminating in the final radiobiological reaction begins with the absorption of energy of ionizing radiation in the cell. Starting from stochastic acts of molecular injury formation, radiation damage gradually acquires deterministic features, which are expressed in a limited number of phenomena that complete plant radiation damage. As plants undergo specialization, the differences between plants and animals become more pronounced, leading to distinct responses to radiation. Chronic radiation exposure may activate biological mechanisms resulting in increased radioresistance of the population. The higher the level of radiation exposure and the sensitivity of plants to radiation, the more intensive the selection. Depending on the circumstances, enhanced radioresistance of a population can be achieved in different ways or has not evolved at all. High dose rates of chronic irradiation leаd to selection for the efficiency of repair systems, while low dose rates activate epigenetic mechanisms that lead to the maintenance of oxidative balance, additional synthesis of chaperones, and control of TEs transposition. Due to huge differences in the radiosensitivity of organisms that make up the ecosystem, irradiation can result in disruption of connections between components of ecosystems which may lead to consequences that can differ drastically from those expected at the organismal and population levels. Therefore, the use of ecological knowledge is essential for understanding the responses of populations and ecosystems to radiation exposure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stanislav Geras'kin
- Russian Institute of Radiology and Agroecology of NRC "Kurchatov Institute", Kievskoe shosse, 109 km, Obninsk, Kaluga Region 249032, Russia.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Yoschenko V, Thiry Y, Holiaka D, Levchuk S, Kashparov V, Nanba K. Long-term changes in 90Sr pools of Scots pine biomass in the Chornobyl Red Forest. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2024; 273:107366. [PMID: 38218043 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2023.107366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2024]
Abstract
The trenches of the waste burial site in the Chornobyl Red Forest represent a big reservoir of radionuclides for the artificial plantation of Scots pine established in that area, but the long term dynamics of tree biomass contamination, especially with 90Sr, remains unclear. The present study was conducted between 2005 and 2018 on two groups of trees of the same age. The IN group is represented by trees growing on the trench containing highly radioactive contaminated fertile soil and organic matter, while the OUT group is located outside the trench. Within a little more than one decade, the total aboveground biomass doubled in the trees of the group OUT and increased more than four times in the group IN. In the group OUT, the concentrations of 90Sr have decreased in all biomass compartments compared to 2005, while in the group IN, the concentrations demonstrated a trend to increase. Regression analysis shows that both decrease in the compartment concentrations in the group OUT (slope coefficient 0.55) and increase in the group IN (1.58) were significant. As a result of the changes in the biomass inventories and 90Sr concentrations, in absence of changes in plantation density, the contamination of total aboveground biomass by 90Sr in the group OUT would have increased slightly in 2018 (from approximately 18 GBq ha-1 to 23 GBq ha-1) compared to 2005, while in the group IN it would have increased almost 6-fold, reaching approximately 560 GBq ha-1, or about (19 ± 9) % of the total 90Sr inventory in the trench area. Trenches of the Red Forest were shown to act as long-lasting hot spots of 90Sr bioavailability for forest trees.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vasyl Yoschenko
- Institute of Environmental Radioactivity at Fukushima University, 1 Kanayagawa, Fukushima Prefecture, Fukushima, 960-1296, Japan.
| | - Yves Thiry
- French National Radioactive Waste Management Agency (Andra) - Scientific and Technical Division, Chatenay-Malabry, 92298, France
| | - Dmytrii Holiaka
- Ukrainian Institute of Agricultural Radiology of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Mashinobudivnykiv str. 7, Chabany, Kyiv region, 08162, Ukraine
| | - Sviatoslav Levchuk
- Ukrainian Institute of Agricultural Radiology of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Mashinobudivnykiv str. 7, Chabany, Kyiv region, 08162, Ukraine
| | - Valery Kashparov
- Ukrainian Institute of Agricultural Radiology of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Mashinobudivnykiv str. 7, Chabany, Kyiv region, 08162, Ukraine; Center for Environmental Radioactivity (CERAD), Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Kenji Nanba
- Institute of Environmental Radioactivity at Fukushima University, 1 Kanayagawa, Fukushima Prefecture, Fukushima, 960-1296, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Sakauchi K, Otaki JM. Soil Microbes and Plant-Associated Microbes in Response to Radioactive Pollution May Indirectly Affect Plants and Insect Herbivores: Evidence for Indirect Field Effects from Chernobyl and Fukushima. Microorganisms 2024; 12:364. [PMID: 38399767 PMCID: PMC10892324 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12020364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The biological impacts of the nuclear accidents in Chernobyl (1986) and Fukushima (2011) on wildlife have been studied in many organisms over decades, mainly from dosimetric perspectives based on laboratory experiments using indicator species. However, ecological perspectives are required to understand indirect field-specific effects among species, which are difficult to evaluate under dosimetric laboratory conditions. From the viewpoint that microbes play a fundamental role in ecosystem function as decomposers and symbionts for plants, we reviewed studies on microbes inhabiting soil and plants in Chernobyl and Fukushima in an attempt to find supporting evidence for indirect field-specific effects on plants and insect herbivores. Compositional changes in soil microbes associated with decreases in abundance and species diversity were reported, especially in heavily contaminated areas of both Chernobyl and Fukushima, which may accompany explosions of radioresistant species. In Chernobyl, the population size of soil microbes remained low for at least 20 years after the accident, and the abundance of plant-associated microbes, which are related to the growth and defense systems of plants, possibly decreased. These reported changes in microbes likely affect soil conditions and alter plant physiology. These microbe-mediated effects may then indirectly affect insect herbivores through food-mass-mediated, pollen-mediated, and metabolite-mediated interactions. Metabolite-mediated interactions may be a major pathway for ecological impacts at low pollution levels and could explain the decreases in insect herbivores in Fukushima. The present review highlights the importance of the indirect field effects of long-term low-dose radiation exposure under complex field circumstances.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Joji M. Otaki
- The BCPH Unit of Molecular Physiology, Department of Chemistry, Biology and Marine Science, Faculty of Science, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara 903-0213, Okinawa, Japan;
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Nybakken L, Lee Y, Brede DA, Mageroy MH, Lind OC, Salbu B, Kashparov V, Olsen JE. Long term effects of ionising radiation in the Chernobyl Exclusion zone on DNA integrity and chemical defence systems of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 904:166844. [PMID: 37689207 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/11/2023]
Abstract
The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (ChNPP) accident in 1986 resulted in extremely high levels of acute ionising radiation, that killed or damaged Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) trees in the surrounding areas. Dead trees were cleared and buried, and new plantations established a few years later. Today, more than three decades later, gamma and beta-radiation near the ChNPP is still elevated compared with ambient levels but have decreased by a factor of 300 and 100, respectively. In the present work, Scots pine-trees growing at High (220 μGy h-1), Medium (11 μGy h-1), and Low (0.2 μGy h-1) total (internal + external) dose rates of chronically elevated ionising radiation in the Chernobyl Exclusion zone were investigated with respect to possible damage to DNA, cells and organelles, as well as potentially increased levels of phenolic and terpenoid antioxidants. Scots pine from the High and Medium radiation sites had elevated levels of DNA damage in shoot tips and needles as shown by the COMET assay, as well as increased numbers of resin ducts and subcellular abnormalities in needles. Needles from the High radiation site showed elevated levels of monoterpenes and condensed tannins compared with those from the other sites. In conclusion, more than three decades after the ChNPP accident substantial DNA damage and (sub)cellular effects, but also mobilisation of stress-protective substances possessing antioxidant activity were observed in Scots pine trees growing at elevated levels of ionising radiation. This demonstrates that the radiation levels in the Red Forest still significantly impact the plant community.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Line Nybakken
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, NO-1432 Ås, Norway; Centre for Environmental Radioactivity, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, N-1432 Ås, Norway.
| | - YeonKyeong Lee
- Centre for Environmental Radioactivity, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, N-1432 Ås, Norway; Department of Plant Sciences, Faculty of Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, NO-1432 Ås, Norway; Korea University Graduate School, Department of Plant Biotechnology, 145, Anam-ro, Seongbuk-ku, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Dag A Brede
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, NO-1432 Ås, Norway; Centre for Environmental Radioactivity, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, N-1432 Ås, Norway
| | - Melissa H Mageroy
- Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, P.O. Box 115, NO-1431 Ås, Norway
| | - Ole Christian Lind
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, NO-1432 Ås, Norway; Centre for Environmental Radioactivity, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, N-1432 Ås, Norway
| | - Brit Salbu
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, NO-1432 Ås, Norway; Centre for Environmental Radioactivity, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, N-1432 Ås, Norway
| | - Valery Kashparov
- Centre for Environmental Radioactivity, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, N-1432 Ås, Norway; Ukrainian Institute of Agricultural Radiology (UIAR) of National University of Life and Environment Sciences of Ukraine, Kiev, Ukraine
| | - Jorunn E Olsen
- Centre for Environmental Radioactivity, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, N-1432 Ås, Norway; Department of Plant Sciences, Faculty of Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, NO-1432 Ås, Norway
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Ponsford M. Research in Chornobyl zone restarts amid ravages of war. Nature 2023; 624:244-246. [PMID: 38092902 DOI: 10.1038/d41586-023-03861-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
|
10
|
Palmero S, Smith AF, Kudrenko S, Gahbauer M, Dachs D, Weingarth‐Dachs K, Kashpei I, Shamovich D, Vyshnevskiy D, Borsuk O, Korepanova K, Bashta A, Zhuravchak R, Fenchuk V, Heurich M. Shining a light on elusive lynx: Density estimation of three Eurasian lynx populations in Ukraine and Belarus. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10688. [PMID: 37953989 PMCID: PMC10636425 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The Eurasian lynx is a large carnivore widely distributed across Eurasia. However, our understanding of population status is heterogeneous across their range, with some populations isolated that are at risk of reduced genetic variation and a complete lack of information about others. In many European countries, Eurasian lynx are monitored through demographic studies crucial for their conservation and management. Even so, there are only rough and fragmented population assessments from Ukraine and Belarus, despite strict protection in both countries and their importance for lynx connectivity across Europe. We monitored lynx from October 2020 to March 2021 and used camera trapping in combination with spatial capture-recapture (SCR) methods in a Bayesian framework to provide the first SCR density estimation of three lynx populations across Ukraine and Belarus, including the Ukrainian Chornobyl Exclusion Zone, southern Belarus and the Ukrainian Carpathians. Our density estimates varied within our study areas ranging from 0.45 to 1.54 individuals/100 km2. This work provides a substantial scientific component to the overall understanding of lynx conservation for a region where only broad information is available and opens the doors for further large-scale monitoring and trend assessments. The crucial information we provide can greatly enhance the range-wide assessments of the status of this protected species. We also discuss the implications for Eurasian lynx conservation, despite the geopolitical realities impacting species monitoring in the region. Our work serves as a baseline, not only for future conservation interventions but also to evaluate the effects of disturbance and threats to these protected populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Palmero
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Management, Faculty of Environment and Natural ResourcesUniversity of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
- Department of National Park Monitoring and Animal ManagementBavarian Forest National ParkGrafenauGermany
| | - Adam F. Smith
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Management, Faculty of Environment and Natural ResourcesUniversity of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
- Department of National Park Monitoring and Animal ManagementBavarian Forest National ParkGrafenauGermany
- The Frankfurt Zoological SocietyFrankfurtGermany
| | - Svitlana Kudrenko
- Department of National Park Monitoring and Animal ManagementBavarian Forest National ParkGrafenauGermany
- The Frankfurt Zoological SocietyFrankfurtGermany
- Faculty of Technology, Natural Sciences and Maritime Sciences, Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental HealthUniversity of South‐Eastern NorwayBøNorway
| | - Martin Gahbauer
- Department of National Park Monitoring and Animal ManagementBavarian Forest National ParkGrafenauGermany
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Oleksandr Borsuk
- Chornobyl Radiation and Ecological Biosphere ReserveIvankivUkraine
| | | | - Andriy‐Taras Bashta
- Institute of Ecology of the CarpathiansNational Academy of Sciences of UkraineLvivUkraine
- Skolivski Beskydy National ParkSkoleUkraine
| | | | | | - Marco Heurich
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Management, Faculty of Environment and Natural ResourcesUniversity of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
- Department of National Park Monitoring and Animal ManagementBavarian Forest National ParkGrafenauGermany
- Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and BiotechnologyInland Norway University of Applied SciencesEvenstadNorway
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Copplestone D, Coates CJ, Lim J. Low dose γ-radiation induced effects on wax moth (Galleria mellonella) larvae. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 876:162742. [PMID: 36906041 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Larvae of the greater wax moth Galleria mellonella are common pests of beehives and commercial apiaries, and in more applied settings, these insects act as alternative in vivo bioassays to rodents for studying microbial virulence, antibiotic development, and toxicology. In the current study, our aim was to assess the putative adverse effects of background gamma radiation levels on G. mellonella. To achieve this, we exposed larvae to low (0.014 mGy/h), medium (0.056 mGy/h), and high (1.33 mGy/h) doses of caesium-137 and measured larval pupation events, weight, faecal discharge, susceptibility to bacterial and fungal challenges, immune cell counts, activity, and viability (i.e., haemocyte encapsulation) and melanisation levels. The effects of low and medium levels of radiation were distinguishable from the highest dose rates used - the latter insects weighed the least and pupated earlier. In general, radiation exposure modulated cellular and humoral immunity over time, with larvae showing heightened encapsulation/melanisation levels at the higher dose rates but were more susceptible to bacterial (Photorhabdus luminescens) infection. There were few signs of radiation impacts after 7 days exposure, whereas marked changes were recorded between 14 and 28 days. Our data suggest that G. mellonella demonstrates plasticity at the whole organism and cellular levels when irradiated and offers insight into how such animals may cope in radiologically contaminated environments (e.g. Chornobyl Exclusion Zone).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David Copplestone
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, Scotland, UK
| | - Christopher J Coates
- Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, Wales, UK; Zoology, Ryan Institute, School of Natural Sciences, University of Galway, Galway H91 TK33, Ireland
| | - Jenson Lim
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, Scotland, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Bradley DA, Essa RZ, Peh SC, Teow SY, Chew MT, Zubair HT, Oresegun A, Basaif A, Choo KY, Ibrahim SA, Abdul-Rashid HA. Low dose and low dose rate radioluminescence dosimetry. Appl Radiat Isot 2023; 198:110875. [PMID: 37257265 DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2023.110875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Review is provided of a number of low-dose, low dose rate situations that in study require advances in the development of dosimetric facilities. Using a clinical linac set up to provide doses down to the few mGy level, the performance of a real-time radioluminescence system has then been illustrated, accommodating pulsed as well as continuous dose delivery. The system gate times provide for tracking of the pattern of dose delivery, allowing detailed account of dose and dose-rate variations. The system has been tested in both x-ray and electron mode dose delivery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- D A Bradley
- Centre for Applied Physics and Radiation Technologies, Sunway University, PJ, Malaysia; School of Mathematics and Physics, University of Surrey, Guildford, GU2 7XH, UK.
| | - R Z Essa
- Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University, PJ, Malaysia
| | - Suat-Cheng Peh
- Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University, PJ, Malaysia
| | - Sin-Yeang Teow
- Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University, PJ, Malaysia
| | - Ming-Tsuey Chew
- Centre for Applied Physics and Radiation Technologies, Sunway University, PJ, Malaysia
| | - H T Zubair
- Fiber Optics Research Centre, Multimedia University, Cyberjaya, 63100, Jalan Multimedia, Malaysia; Lumisyns Sdn Bhd, Cyberjaya, 63100, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Adebiyi Oresegun
- Fiber Optics Research Centre, Multimedia University, Cyberjaya, 63100, Jalan Multimedia, Malaysia
| | - Azmi Basaif
- Fiber Optics Research Centre, Multimedia University, Cyberjaya, 63100, Jalan Multimedia, Malaysia
| | - Kan Yeep Choo
- Fiber Optics Research Centre, Multimedia University, Cyberjaya, 63100, Jalan Multimedia, Malaysia
| | - Siti A Ibrahim
- Fiber Optics Research Centre, Multimedia University, Cyberjaya, 63100, Jalan Multimedia, Malaysia
| | | |
Collapse
|
13
|
Holiaka D, Yoschenko V, Cherniaiev OR, Moskaliuk A, Lesnik O, Levchuk S, Holiaka M, Gumenuk V, Kovbasa Y, Borsuk O, Holik V, Nanba K, Kashparov V. Variability of activity concentrations and radial distributions of 137Cs and 90Sr in trunk wood of Scots pine and Silver birch. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2023; 263:107186. [PMID: 37087959 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2023.107186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
This study analyzes the variability of 137Cs and 90Sr concentrations in wood and their radial distributions in the trunks of Scots pine and Silver birch trees in the small uniformly contaminated forest stands in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone. Concentrations of both radionuclides follow a lognormal distribution with a large scatter of values measured in the trees within the stands (GSD ranges from 1.6 to 2.0). No correlation was found between the concentrations of the two radionuclides measured in individual trees, or between their concentrations and tree diameter. The average 137Cs and 90Sr Tag were 8.4 × 10-4 m2 kg-1 and 8.8 × 10-3 m2 kg-1 for pine, respectively, and 9.3 × 10-4 m2 kg-1 and 1.1 × 10-2 m2 kg-1 for birch, indicating a much higher availability of 90Sr for uptake by the studied species. For 137Cs, the Tag values are within the range recommended by the IAEA Handbook (IAEA, 2010), while the values for 90Sr exceed the recommended range for birch and are close to its upper value for pine. The highest concentrations of 137Cs in pine at the height of 1.3 m were measured in the youngest sapwood rings; they were lower in the rest of the sapwood and decreased further in the heartwood, but remained relatively high even in annual rings that were the heartwood at the time of deposition, suggesting sapwood-to-heartwood translocation of the radionuclide by diffusion and/or ray transport. In contrast, 90Sr concentrations increased through the sapwood from the trunk periphery in pine trees up to 80 years old and remained stable through the sapwood in older trees (except for higher concentrations in the young annual rings), but dropped to zero in physiologically inactive heartwood tissues. In most birch trees, regardless of age, 137Cs concentrations demonstrated an increasing trend from the trunk periphery towards the pith, while concentrations of 90Sr were relatively stable in the whole trunk except in the oldest annual rings, where they increased sharply, likely indicating active transport of the radionuclide to senescing tissues.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- D Holiaka
- Ukrainian Institute of Agricultural Radiology of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Mashinobudivnykiv str. 7, Chabany, Kyiv region, 08162, Ukraine.
| | - V Yoschenko
- Institute of Environmental Radioactivity at Fukushima University, 1 Kanayagawa, Fukushima Prefecture, 960-1296, Japan
| | - O R Cherniaiev
- Ukrainian Institute of Agricultural Radiology of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Mashinobudivnykiv str. 7, Chabany, Kyiv region, 08162, Ukraine
| | - A Moskaliuk
- Ukrainian Institute of Agricultural Radiology of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Mashinobudivnykiv str. 7, Chabany, Kyiv region, 08162, Ukraine
| | - O Lesnik
- Ukrainian Institute of Agricultural Radiology of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Mashinobudivnykiv str. 7, Chabany, Kyiv region, 08162, Ukraine
| | - S Levchuk
- Ukrainian Institute of Agricultural Radiology of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Mashinobudivnykiv str. 7, Chabany, Kyiv region, 08162, Ukraine
| | - M Holiaka
- Ukrainian Institute of Agricultural Radiology of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Mashinobudivnykiv str. 7, Chabany, Kyiv region, 08162, Ukraine
| | - V Gumenuk
- Ukrainian Institute of Agricultural Radiology of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Mashinobudivnykiv str. 7, Chabany, Kyiv region, 08162, Ukraine
| | - Y Kovbasa
- Ukrainian Institute of Agricultural Radiology of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Mashinobudivnykiv str. 7, Chabany, Kyiv region, 08162, Ukraine
| | - O Borsuk
- Chornobyl Radiation and Ecological Biosphere Reserve, Tolochina str. 28, Ivankiv, Kyiv region, 07201, Ukraine
| | - V Holik
- Ukrainian Institute of Agricultural Radiology of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Mashinobudivnykiv str. 7, Chabany, Kyiv region, 08162, Ukraine
| | - K Nanba
- Institute of Environmental Radioactivity at Fukushima University, 1 Kanayagawa, Fukushima Prefecture, 960-1296, Japan
| | - V Kashparov
- Ukrainian Institute of Agricultural Radiology of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Mashinobudivnykiv str. 7, Chabany, Kyiv region, 08162, Ukraine
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
MacIntosh A, Koppel DJ, Johansen MP, Beresford NA, Copplestone D, Penrose B, Cresswell T. Radiological risk assessment to marine biota from exposure to NORM from a decommissioned offshore oil and gas pipeline. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2022; 251-252:106979. [PMID: 35963215 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2022.106979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Scale residues can accumulate on the interior surfaces of subsea petroleum pipes and may incorporate naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM). The persistent nature of 'NORM scale' may result in a radiological dose to the organisms living on or near intact pipelines. Following a scenario of in-situ decommissioning of a subsea pipeline, marine organisms occupying the exteriors or interiors of petroleum structures may have close contact with the scale or other NORM-associated contaminated substances and suffer subsequent radiological effects. This case study used radiological dose modelling software, including the ERICA Tool (v2.0), MicroShield® Pro and mathematical equations, to estimate the likely radiological doses and risks of effects from NORM-contaminated scale to marine biota from a decommissioned offshore oil and gas pipeline. Using activity concentrations of NORM (226Ra, 210Po, 210Pb, 228Ra, 228Th) from a subsea pipeline from Australia, environmental realistic exposure scenarios including radiological exposures from both an intact pipe (external only; accounting for radiation shielding by a cylindrical carbon steel pipe) and a decommissioned pipeline with corrosive breakthrough (resulting in both internal and external radiological exposure) were simulated to estimate doses to model marine organisms. Predicted dose rates for both the external only exposure (ranging from 26 μGy/h to 33 μGy/h) and a corroded pipeline (ranging from 300 μGy/h to 16,000 μGy/h) exceeded screening levels for radiological doses to environmental receptors. The study highlighted the importance of using scale-specific solubility data (i.e., Kd) values for individual NORM radionuclides for ERICA assessments. This study provides an approach for conducting marine organism dose assessments for NORM-contaminated subsea pipelines and highlights scientific gaps required to undertake risk assessments necessary to inform infrastructure decommissioning planning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amy MacIntosh
- Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Lucas Heights, NSW, Australia; School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
| | - Darren J Koppel
- Curtin University Oil and Gas Innovation Centre, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Mathew P Johansen
- Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Lucas Heights, NSW, Australia
| | | | - David Copplestone
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, United Kingdom
| | - Beth Penrose
- Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, University of Tasmania, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Tom Cresswell
- Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Lucas Heights, NSW, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
De Marco A, Sicard P, Feng Z, Agathokleous E, Alonso R, Araminiene V, Augustatis A, Badea O, Beasley JC, Branquinho C, Bruckman VJ, Collalti A, David‐Schwartz R, Domingos M, Du E, Garcia Gomez H, Hashimoto S, Hoshika Y, Jakovljevic T, McNulty S, Oksanen E, Omidi Khaniabadi Y, Prescher A, Saitanis CJ, Sase H, Schmitz A, Voigt G, Watanabe M, Wood MD, Kozlov MV, Paoletti E. Strategic roadmap to assess forest vulnerability under air pollution and climate change. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:5062-5085. [PMID: 35642454 PMCID: PMC9541114 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Although it is an integral part of global change, most of the research addressing the effects of climate change on forests have overlooked the role of environmental pollution. Similarly, most studies investigating the effects of air pollutants on forests have generally neglected the impacts of climate change. We review the current knowledge on combined air pollution and climate change effects on global forest ecosystems and identify several key research priorities as a roadmap for the future. Specifically, we recommend (1) the establishment of much denser array of monitoring sites, particularly in the South Hemisphere; (2) further integration of ground and satellite monitoring; (3) generation of flux-based standards and critical levels taking into account the sensitivity of dominant forest tree species; (4) long-term monitoring of N, S, P cycles and base cations deposition together at global scale; (5) intensification of experimental studies, addressing the combined effects of different abiotic factors on forests by assuring a better representation of taxonomic and functional diversity across the ~73,000 tree species on Earth; (6) more experimental focus on phenomics and genomics; (7) improved knowledge on key processes regulating the dynamics of radionuclides in forest systems; and (8) development of models integrating air pollution and climate change data from long-term monitoring programs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Zhaozhong Feng
- Key Laboratory of Agro‐Meteorology of Jiangsu Province, School of Applied MeteorologyNanjing University of Information Science & TechnologyNanjingChina
| | - Evgenios Agathokleous
- Key Laboratory of Agro‐Meteorology of Jiangsu Province, School of Applied MeteorologyNanjing University of Information Science & TechnologyNanjingChina
| | - Rocio Alonso
- Ecotoxicology of Air Pollution, CIEMATMadridSpain
| | - Valda Araminiene
- Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and ForestryKaunasLithuania
| | - Algirdas Augustatis
- Faculty of Forest Sciences and EcologyVytautas Magnus UniversityKaunasLithuania
| | - Ovidiu Badea
- “Marin Drăcea” National Institute for Research and Development in ForestryVoluntariRomania
- Faculty of Silviculture and Forest Engineering“Transilvania” UniversityBraşovRomania
| | - James C. Beasley
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory and Warnell School of Forestry and Natural ResourcesUniversity of GeorgiaAikenSouth CarolinaUSA
| | - Cristina Branquinho
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de CiênciasUniversidade de LisboaLisbonPortugal
| | - Viktor J. Bruckman
- Commission for Interdisciplinary Ecological StudiesAustrian Academy of SciencesViennaAustria
| | | | | | - Marisa Domingos
- Instituto de BotanicaNucleo de Pesquisa em EcologiaSao PauloBrazil
| | - Enzai Du
- Faculty of Geographical ScienceBeijing Normal UniversityBeijingChina
| | | | - Shoji Hashimoto
- Department of Forest SoilsForestry and Forest Products Research InstituteTsukubaJapan
| | | | | | | | - Elina Oksanen
- Department of Environmental and Biological SciencesUniversity of Eastern FinlandJoensuuFinland
| | - Yusef Omidi Khaniabadi
- Department of Environmental Health EngineeringIndustrial Medial and Health, Petroleum Industry Health Organization (PIHO)AhvazIran
| | | | - Costas J. Saitanis
- Lab of Ecology and Environmental ScienceAgricultural University of AthensAthensGreece
| | - Hiroyuki Sase
- Ecological Impact Research DepartmentAsia Center for Air Pollution Research (ACAP)NiigataJapan
| | - Andreas Schmitz
- State Agency for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection of North Rhine‐WestphaliaRecklinghausenGermany
| | | | - Makoto Watanabe
- Institute of AgricultureTokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT)FuchuJapan
| | - Michael D. Wood
- School of Science, Engineering and EnvironmentUniversity of SalfordSalfordUK
| | | | - Elena Paoletti
- Department of Forest SoilsForestry and Forest Products Research InstituteTsukubaJapan
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Watts PC, Mappes T, Tukalenko E, Mousseau TA, Boratyński Z, Møller AP, Lavrinienko A. Interpretation of gut microbiota data in the 'eye of the beholder': A commentary and re-evaluation of data from 'Impacts of radiation exposure on the bacterial and fungal microbiome of small mammals in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone'. J Anim Ecol 2022; 91:1535-1545. [PMID: 35694772 PMCID: PMC9541917 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Evidence that exposure to environmental pollutants can alter the gut microbiota composition of wildlife includes studies of rodents exposed to radionuclides. Antwis et al. (2021) used amplicon sequencing to characterise the gut microbiota of four species of rodent (Myodes glareolus, Apodemus agrarius, A. flavicollis and A. sylvaticus) inhabiting the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ) to examine possible changes in gut bacteria (microbiota) and gut fungi (mycobiota) associated with exposure to radionuclides and whether the sample type (from caecum or faeces) affected the analysis. The conclusions derived from the analyses of gut mycobiota are based on data that represent a mixture of ingested fungi (e.g. edible macrofungi, polypores, lichens and ectomycorrhizae) and gut mycobiota (e.g. microfungi and yeasts), which mask the patterns of inter‐ and intraspecific variation in the authentic gut mycobiota. Implying that ‘faecal samples are not an accurate indicator of gut composition’ creates an unnecessary controversy about faecal sampling because the comparison of samples from the caecum and faeces confounds many other possible drivers (including different animals from different locations, sampled in different years) of variation in gut microbiota. It is relevant also that Antwis et al.'s (2021) data lack statistical power to detect an effect of exposure to radionuclides on the gut microbiota because (1) all of their samples of Apodemus mice had experienced a medium or high total absorbed dose rate and (2) they did not collect samples of bank voles (M. glareolus) from replicate contaminated and uncontaminated locations. Discussion of Antwis et al.'s (2021) analysis, especially the claims presented in the Abstract, is important to prevent controversy about the outcome of research on the biological impacts of wildlife inhabiting the CEZ.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Phillip C Watts
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Tapio Mappes
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Eugene Tukalenko
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland.,National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Science, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Timothy A Mousseau
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
| | - Zbyszek Boratyński
- CIBIO/InBio, Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, University of Porto, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Anders P Møller
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie, Systématique et Evolution, CNRS UMR 8079, Université Paris-Sud 11, Orsay Cedex, France
| | - Anton Lavrinienko
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Burrows JE, Copplestone D, Raines KE, Beresford NA, Tinsley MC. Ecologically relevant radiation exposure triggers elevated metabolic rate and nectar consumption in bumblebees. Funct Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica E. Burrows
- Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Stirling Stirling UK
| | - David Copplestone
- Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Stirling Stirling UK
| | | | | | - Matthew C. Tinsley
- Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Stirling Stirling UK
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Beresford NA, Wood MD, Gashchak S, Barnett CL. Current ionising radiation doses in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone do not directly impact on soil biological activity. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0263600. [PMID: 35196340 PMCID: PMC8865656 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Although soil organisms are essential for ecosystem function, the impacts of radiation on soil biological activity at highly contaminated sites has been relatively poorly studied. In April-May 2016, we conducted the first largescale deployment of bait lamina to estimate soil organism (largely soil invertebrate) feeding activity in situ at study plots in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ). Across our 53 study plots, estimated weighted absorbed dose rates to soil organisms ranged from 0.7 μGy h-1 to 1753 μGy h-1. There was no significant relationship between soil organism feeding activity and estimated weighted absorbed dose rate. Soil biological activity did show significant relationships with soil moisture content, bulk density (used as a proxy for soil organic matter) and pH. At plots in the Red Forest (an area of coniferous plantation where trees died because of high radiation exposure in 1986) soil biological activity was low compared to plots elsewhere in the CEZ. It is possible that the lower biological activity observed in the Red Forest is a residual consequence of what was in effect an acute high exposure to radiation in 1986.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas A. Beresford
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Bailrigg, Lancaster, United Kingdom
- School of Science, Engineering & Environment, University of Salford, Manchester, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Michael D. Wood
- School of Science, Engineering & Environment, University of Salford, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Sergey Gashchak
- International Radioecology Laboratory, Chornobyl Center for Nuclear Safety, Radioactive Waste & Radioecology, Slavutych, Kyiv Region, Ukraine
| | - Catherine L. Barnett
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Bailrigg, Lancaster, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Yadav S, Joshi M, Shukla P, Khan A. Aerosol generation from graphite at high temperature: Role of heating rate and air flow rate. ANN NUCL ENERGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anucene.2021.108792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
|
20
|
Yüksel S, Dinçer H. Identifying the strategic priorities of nuclear energy investments using hesitant 2-tuple interval-valued Pythagorean fuzzy DEMATEL. PROGRESS IN NUCLEAR ENERGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pnucene.2021.104103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
|
21
|
Tovstuha I, Timofieieva O, Kovalov V, Vlaschenko A. Effect of 90Sr and 137Cs concentration on Hematological Parameters of Bats in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (Ukraine). ACTA CHIROPTEROLOGICA 2022. [DOI: 10.3161/15081109acc2021.23.2.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ihor Tovstuha
- Bat Rehabilitation Center of Feldman Ecopark, 62340 Lesnoye, Kharkiv Region, Ukraine
| | - Olha Timofieieva
- Terrestrial Ecosystems and Ecotoxicology Group, Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Viktor Kovalov
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Anton Vlaschenko
- Bat Rehabilitation Center of Feldman Ecopark, 62340 Lesnoye, Kharkiv Region, Ukraine
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Geras’kin SA, Fesenko SV, Volkova PY, Isamov NN. What Have We Learned about the Biological Effects of Radiation from the 35 Years of Analysis of the Consequences of the Chernobyl NPP Accident? BIOL BULL+ 2022. [DOI: 10.1134/s1062359021120050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
|
23
|
Dombrovski VC, Zhurauliou DV, Ashton‐Butt A. Long‐term Effects of Rewilding on Species Composition: 22‐years of Raptor Monitoring in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. Restor Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Valery C. Dombrovski
- National Academy of Sciences, Scientific and Practical Center for Bioresources Minsk Belarus
- Polesie State Radiation‐Ecological Reserve, Khojniki Belarus
| | - Dzmitry V. Zhurauliou
- National Academy of Sciences, Scientific and Practical Center for Bioresources Minsk Belarus
| | - Adham Ashton‐Butt
- British Trust for Ornithology, The Nunnery, Thetford UK
- Department of Biological and Marine Sciences University of Hull UK
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Sakauchi K, Taira W, Otaki JM. Metabolomic Profiles of the Creeping Wood Sorrel Oxalis corniculata in Radioactively Contaminated Fields in Fukushima: Dose-Dependent Changes in Key Metabolites. Life (Basel) 2022; 12:life12010115. [PMID: 35054508 PMCID: PMC8780803 DOI: 10.3390/life12010115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The biological impacts of the Fukushima nuclear accident, in 2011, on wildlife have been studied in many organisms, including the pale grass blue butterfly and its host plant, the creeping wood sorrel Oxalis corniculata. Here, we performed an LC–MS-based metabolomic analysis on leaves of this plant collected in 2018 from radioactively contaminated and control localities in Fukushima, Miyagi, and Niigata prefectures, Japan. Using 7967 peaks detected by LC–MS analysis, clustering analyses showed that nine Fukushima samples and one Miyagi sample were clustered together, irrespective of radiation dose, while two Fukushima (Iitate) and two Niigata samples were not in this cluster. However, 93 peaks were significantly different (FDR < 0.05) among the three dose-dependent groups based on background, low, and high radiation dose rates. Among them, seven upregulated and 15 downregulated peaks had single annotations, and their peak intensity values were positively and negatively correlated with ground radiation dose rates, respectively. Upregulated peaks were annotated as kudinoside D (saponin), andrachcinidine (alkaloid), pyridoxal phosphate (stress-related activated vitamin B6), and four microbe-related bioactive compounds, including antibiotics. Additionally, two peaks were singularly annotated and significantly upregulated (K1R1H1; peptide) or downregulated (DHAP(10:0); decanoyl dihydroxyacetone phosphate) most at the low dose rates. Therefore, this plant likely responded to radioactive pollution in Fukushima by upregulating and downregulating key metabolites. Furthermore, plant-associated endophytic microbes may also have responded to pollution, suggesting their contributions to the stress response of the plant.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ko Sakauchi
- The BCPH Unit of Molecular Physiology, Department of Chemistry, Biology and Marine Science, Faculty of Science, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan; (K.S.); (W.T.)
| | - Wataru Taira
- The BCPH Unit of Molecular Physiology, Department of Chemistry, Biology and Marine Science, Faculty of Science, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan; (K.S.); (W.T.)
- Research Planning Office, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan
| | - Joji M. Otaki
- The BCPH Unit of Molecular Physiology, Department of Chemistry, Biology and Marine Science, Faculty of Science, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan; (K.S.); (W.T.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-98-895-8557
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Fuller N, Smith JT, Takase T, Ford AT, Wada T. Radiocaesium accumulation and fluctuating asymmetry in the Japanese mitten crab, Eriocheir japonica, along a gradient of radionuclide contamination at Fukushima. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 292:118479. [PMID: 34752791 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.118479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The 2011 Tohoku earthquake-tsunami and the subsequent nuclear accident at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS) led to large-scale radionuclide contamination of the marine and freshwater environment. Monitoring studies of marine food products in the Fukushima region have generally demonstrated a declining trend in radiocaesium concentrations. However, the accumulation and elimination of radiocaesium and potential biological effects remain poorly understood for freshwater biota inhabiting highly contaminated areas at Fukushima. Consequently, the present study aimed to assess radiocaesium accumulation and developmental effects on the commercially important catadromous Japanese mitten crab, Eriocheir japonica. E. japonica were collected from four sites along a gradient of radionuclide contamination 4-44 km in distance from the FDNPS in 2017. To determine potential developmental effects, fluctuating asymmetry (FA) was used as a measure of developmental stability. Combined 134Cs and 137Cs values for whole E. japonica from highly contaminated sites 4 and 16 km in distance from the FDNPS were 3040 ± 521 and 2250 ± 908 Bq kg-1 wet weight respectively, 30 and 22 times greater than the Japanese standard limit of 100 Bq kg-1. Estimated total dose rates based on radiocaesium concentrations in whole crabs and sediment ranged from 0.016 to 37.7 μGy h-1. No significant relationship between radiocaesium accumulation and FA was recorded, suggesting that chronic radiation exposure at Fukushima is not inducing developmental effects in E. japonica as measured using fluctuating asymmetry. Furthermore, estimated dose rates were below proposed regulatory limits where significant deleterious effects are expected. The present study will aid in the understanding of the long-term consequences of radiation exposure for non-human biota and the management of radioactively contaminated environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Neil Fuller
- Institute of Marine Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Ferry Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO4 9LY, UK.
| | - Jim T Smith
- School of Environmental, Geographical and Geological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Burnaby Building, Burnaby Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO1 3QL, UK
| | - Tsugiko Takase
- Institute of Environmental Radioactivity, Fukushima University, 1 Kanayagawa, Fukushima City, Fukushima Prefecture, 960-1296, Japan
| | - Alex T Ford
- Institute of Marine Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Ferry Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO4 9LY, UK
| | - Toshihiro Wada
- Institute of Environmental Radioactivity, Fukushima University, 1 Kanayagawa, Fukushima City, Fukushima Prefecture, 960-1296, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Burraco P, Car C, Bonzom JM, Orizaola G. Assessment of exposure to ionizing radiation in Chernobyl tree frogs (Hyla orientalis). Sci Rep 2021; 11:20509. [PMID: 34654841 PMCID: PMC8519934 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-00125-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Ionizing radiation can damage organic molecules, causing detrimental effects on human and wildlife health. The accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant (1986) represents the largest release of radioactive material to the environment. An accurate estimation of the current exposure to radiation in wildlife, often reduced to ambient dose rate assessments, is crucial to understand the long-term impact of radiation on living organisms. Here, we present an evaluation of the sources and variation of current exposure to radiation in breeding Eastern tree frogs (Hyla orientalis) males living in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. Total absorbed dose rates in H. orientalis were highly variable, although generally below widely used thresholds considered harmful for animal health. Internal exposure was the main source of absorbed dose rate (81% on average), with 90Sr being the main contributor (78% of total dose rate, on average). These results highlight the importance of assessing both internal and external exposure levels in order to perform a robust evaluation of the exposure to radiation in wildlife. Further studies incorporating life-history, ecological, and evolutionary traits are needed to fully evaluate the effects that these exposure levels can have in amphibians and other taxa inhabiting radio-contaminated environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Burraco
- Animal Ecology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, 75236, Uppsala, Sweden
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Clément Car
- Research Laboratory on the Effects of Radionuclides on Ecosystems (LECO), Institute for Radioprotection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN), PSE-ENV/SRTE/LECO, 13115, Cadarache, Saint Paul Lez Durance, France
| | - Jean-Marc Bonzom
- Research Laboratory on the Effects of Radionuclides on Ecosystems (LECO), Institute for Radioprotection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN), PSE-ENV/SRTE/LECO, 13115, Cadarache, Saint Paul Lez Durance, France
| | - Germán Orizaola
- Animal Ecology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, 75236, Uppsala, Sweden.
- IMIB-Biodiversity Research Institute (Univ. Oviedo-CSIC-Princip. Asturias), University of Oviedo, 33600, Mieres-Asturias, Spain.
- Zoology Unit, Department of Biology of Organisms and Systems, University of Oviedo, 33071, Oviedo-Asturias, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Cunningham K, Hinton TG, Luxton JJ, Bordman A, Okuda K, Taylor LE, Hayes J, Gerke HC, Chinn SM, Anderson D, Laudenslager ML, Takase T, Nemoto Y, Ishiniwa H, Beasley JC, Bailey SM. Evaluation of DNA damage and stress in wildlife chronically exposed to low-dose, low-dose rate radiation from the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2021; 155:106675. [PMID: 34120002 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The health effects associated with chronic low-dose, low-dose rate (LD-LDR) exposures to environmental radiation are uncertain. All dose-effect studies conducted outside controlled laboratory conditions are challenged by inherent complexities of ecological systems and difficulties quantifying dose to free-ranging organisms in natural environments. Consequently, the effects of chronic LD-LDR radiation exposures on wildlife health remain poorly understood and much debated. Here, samples from wild boar (Sus scrofa leucomystax) and rat snakes (Elaphe spp.) were collected between 2016 and 2018 across a gradient of radiation exposures in Fukushima, Japan. In vivo biomarkers of DNA damage and stress were evaluated as a function of multiple measurements of radiation dose. Specifically, we assessed frequencies of dicentric chromosomes (Telomere-Centromere Fluorescence in situ Hybridization: TC-FISH), telomere length (Telo-FISH, qPCR), and cortisol hormone levels (Enzyme Immunoassay: EIA) in wild boar, and telomere length (qPCR) in snakes. These biological parameters were then correlated to robust calculations of radiation dose rate at the time of capture and plausible upper bound lifetime dose, both of which incorporated internal and external dose. No significant relationships were observed between dicentric chromosome frequencies or telomere length and dose rate at capture or lifetime dose (p value range: 0.20-0.97). Radiation exposure significantly associated only with cortisol, where lower concentrations were associated with higher dose rates (r2 = 0.58; p < 0.0001), a relationship that was likely due to other (unmeasured) factors. Our results suggest that wild boar and snakes chronically exposed to LD-LDR radiation sufficient to prohibit human occupancy were not experiencing significant adverse health effects as assessed by biomarkers of DNA damage and stress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kelly Cunningham
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1618, USA
| | - Thomas G Hinton
- Centre for Environmental Radioactivity, Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), P.O. Box 5003, N-1433 Ås, Norway; Institute of Environmental Radioactivity, 1 Kanayagawa, Fukushima City, Fukushima 960-1296, Japan.
| | - Jared J Luxton
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1618, USA
| | - Aryn Bordman
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1618, USA
| | - Kei Okuda
- Faculty of Human Environmental Studies, Hiroshima Shudo University, Hiroshima 731-3195, Japan
| | - Lynn E Taylor
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1618, USA
| | - Josh Hayes
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1618, USA
| | - Hannah C Gerke
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Aiken, SC 29808, USA
| | - Sarah M Chinn
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Aiken, SC 29808, USA
| | - Donovan Anderson
- Symbiotic Systems Science and Technology, Fukushima University, Fukushima, Fukushima City, Kanayagawa 960-1248, Japan
| | - Mark L Laudenslager
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Tsugiko Takase
- Institute of Environmental Radioactivity, 1 Kanayagawa, Fukushima City, Fukushima 960-1296, Japan
| | - Yui Nemoto
- Fukushima Prefectural Centre for Environmental Creation, 2-10 Fukasaku, Miharu, Fukushima 963-7799, Japan
| | - Hiroko Ishiniwa
- Institute of Environmental Radioactivity, 1 Kanayagawa, Fukushima City, Fukushima 960-1296, Japan
| | - James C Beasley
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Aiken, SC 29808, USA
| | - Susan M Bailey
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1618, USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
The Return of Nature to the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone: Increases in Forest Cover of 1.5 Times Since the 1986 Disaster. FORESTS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/f12081024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
For 34 years since the 1986 nuclear disaster, the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (ChEZ) landscapes have been protected with very limited human interventions. Natural afforestation has largely occurred throughout the abandoned farmlands, while natural disturbance regimes, which dominantly include wildfires, have become more frequent and severe in the last years. Here, we utilize the dense time series of Landsat satellite imagery (1986–2020) processed by using the temporal segmentation algorithm LandTrendr in order to derive a robust land cover and forest mask product for the ChEZ. Additionally, we carried out an analysis of land cover transitions on the former farmlands. The Random Forest classification model developed here has achieved overall accuracies of 80% (using training data for 2017) and 89% on a binary “forest/non-forest” validation (using data from 1988). The total forest cover area within the ChEZ has increased from 41% (in 1986) to 59% (in 2020). This forest gain can be explained by the afforestation that has occurred in abandoned farmlands, which compensates for forest cover losses due to large fire events in 1992, 2015–2016, and 2020. Most transitions from open landscapes to dense forest cover occurred after the year 2000 and are possibly linked to past forest management practices. We conclude that a consistent forest strategy, with the aid of remote monitoring, is required to efficiently manage new forests in the ChEZ in order to retain their ecosystem functions and to ensure sustainable habitats.
Collapse
|
29
|
Matsushima N, Ihara S, Inaba O, Horiguchi T. Assessing the impact of large-scale farmland abandonment on the habitat distributions of frog species after the Fukushima nuclear accident. Oecologia 2021; 196:1219-1232. [PMID: 34313837 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-04991-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Rice paddies function as wetlands; therefore, abandoned paddy fields cause a loss of habitats for aquatic species, such as amphibians. Following the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in 2011, paddy fields around the plant were abandoned and rapidly dried. To identify the impact of large-scale abandonment of paddy fields on the habitats of frogs, we investigated changes in the distributions of four frogs that breed in paddy fields using niche modeling and field surveys. The spatial distributions of suitable habitats before and after the accident for each frog were created using MaxEnt. In the area where rice cropping was restricted due to radioactive contamination, the areas of suitable habitats decreased for Pelophylax porosus porosus but increased or remained unchanged for other frogs after the accident. Additionally, field surveys conducted in 2014 indicated that the ratios of breeding sites in the area where rice cropping was restricted were significantly lower for P. p. porosus and Hyla japonica than outside this area. Thus, 3 years after the accident, one species strongly dependent upon paddy fields rapidly disappeared over a large area. Although amphibian populations or monitoring data were not available to examine changes directly after the accident in the study area, this research showed that the combination of niche modeling and field survey was effective for predicting species response after an accident and revealed that large-scale disasters sufficient to disrupt agricultural activity could markedly change the distribution of species reliant on habitats created by human activity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Noe Matsushima
- Faculty of Science, Toho University, Miyama-2-2-1, Funabashi, Chiba, 274-8510, Japan. .,Center for Health and Environmental Risk Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8506, Japan.
| | - Sadao Ihara
- Environmental Education, Regional Education Development, Hokkaido University of Education, 1-15-55 Shiroyama, Kushiro, Hokkaido, 085-8580, Japan
| | - Osamu Inaba
- Education Division, Board of Education, Iitate Village Office, Iitate, Fukushima, 960-1892, Japan
| | - Toshihiro Horiguchi
- Center for Health and Environmental Risk Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8506, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Lavrinienko A, Hämäläinen A, Hindström R, Tukalenko E, Boratyński Z, Kivisaari K, Mousseau TA, Watts PC, Mappes T. Comparable response of wild rodent gut microbiome to anthropogenic habitat contamination. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:3485-3499. [PMID: 33955637 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2020] [Revised: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Species identity is thought to dominate over environment in shaping wild rodent gut microbiota, but it remains unknown whether the responses of host gut microbiota to shared anthropogenic habitat impacts are species-specific or if the general gut microbiota response is similar across host species. Here, we compare the influence of exposure to radionuclide contamination on the gut microbiota of four wild mouse species: Apodemus flavicollis, A. sylvaticus, A. speciosus and A. argenteus. Building on the evidence that radiation impacts bank vole (Myodes glareolus) gut microbiota, we hypothesized that radiation exposure has a general impact on rodent gut microbiota. Because we sampled (n = 288) two species pairs of Apodemus mice that occur in sympatry in habitats affected by the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear accidents, these comparisons provide an opportunity for a general assessment of the effects of exposure to environmental contamination (radionuclides) on gut microbiota across host phylogeny and geographical areas. In general agreement with our hypothesis, analyses of bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that radiation exposure alters the gut microbiota composition and structure in three of the four species of Apodemus mice. The notable lack of an association between the gut microbiota and soil radionuclide contamination in one mouse species from Fukushima (A. argenteus) probably reflects host "radiation escape" through its unique tree-dwelling lifestyle. The finding that host ecology can modulate effects of radiation exposure offers an interesting counterpoint for future analyses into effects of radiation or any other toxic exposure on host and its associated microbiota. Our data show that exposure to radionuclide contamination is linked to comparable gut microbiota responses across multiple species of rodents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anton Lavrinienko
- Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.,Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Anni Hämäläinen
- Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.,Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland.,Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | | | - Eugene Tukalenko
- Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.,National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Science, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Zbyszek Boratyński
- CIBIO-InBIO Associate Laboratory, Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, University of Porto, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Kati Kivisaari
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Timothy A Mousseau
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA.,SURA/LASSO/NASA, ISS Utilization and Life Sciences Division, Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, FL, USA
| | - Phillip C Watts
- Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.,Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Tapio Mappes
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Antwis RE, Beresford NA, Jackson JA, Fawkes R, Barnett CL, Potter E, Walker L, Gaschak S, Wood MD. Impacts of radiation exposure on the bacterial and fungal microbiome of small mammals in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:2172-2187. [PMID: 33901301 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Environmental impacts of the 1986 Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident are much debated, but the effects of radiation on host microbiomes have received little attention to date. We present the first analysis of small mammal gut microbiomes from the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone in relation to total absorbed dose rate, including both caecum and faeces samples. We provide novel evidence that host species determines fungal community composition, and that associations between microbiome (both bacterial and fungal) communities and radiation exposure vary between host species. Using ambient versus total weighted absorbed dose rates in analyses produced different results, with the latter more robust for interpreting microbiome changes at the individual level. We found considerable variation between results for faecal and gut samples of bank voles, suggesting faecal samples are not an accurate indicator of gut composition. Associations between radiation exposure and microbiome composition of gut samples were not robust against geographical variation, although we identified families of bacteria (Lachnospiraceae and Muribaculaceae) and fungi (Steccherinaceae and Strophariaceae) in the guts of bank voles that may serve as biomarkers of radiation exposure. Further studies considering a range of small mammal species are needed to establish the robustness of these potential biomarkers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rachael E Antwis
- School of Science, Engineering and Environment, University of Salford, Salford, UK
| | - Nicholas A Beresford
- School of Science, Engineering and Environment, University of Salford, Salford, UK.,UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Bailrigg, UK
| | - Joseph A Jackson
- School of Science, Engineering and Environment, University of Salford, Salford, UK
| | - Ross Fawkes
- School of Science, Engineering and Environment, University of Salford, Salford, UK
| | - Catherine L Barnett
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Bailrigg, UK
| | - Elaine Potter
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Bailrigg, UK
| | - Lee Walker
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Bailrigg, UK
| | - Sergey Gaschak
- Chornobyl Center for Nuclear Safety, Radioactive Waste and Radioecology, International Radioecology Laboratory, Slavutych, Ukraine
| | - Michael D Wood
- School of Science, Engineering and Environment, University of Salford, Salford, UK
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Shuryak I, Brenner DJ. Quantitative modeling of multigenerational effects of chronic ionizing radiation using targeted and nontargeted effects. Sci Rep 2021; 11:4776. [PMID: 33637848 PMCID: PMC7910614 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-84156-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress response signals can propagate between cells damaged by targeted effects (TE) of ionizing radiation (e.g. energy depositions and ionizations in the nucleus) and undamaged "bystander" cells, sometimes over long distances. Their consequences, called non-targeted effects (NTE), can substantially contribute to radiation-induced damage (e.g. cell death, genomic instability, carcinogenesis), particularly at low doses/dose rates (e.g. space exploration, some occupational and accidental exposures). In addition to controlled laboratory experiments, analysis of observational data on wild animal and plant populations from areas contaminated by radionuclides can enhance our understanding of radiation responses because such data span wide ranges of dose rates applied over many generations. Here we used a mechanistically-motivated mathematical model of TE and NTE to analyze published embryonic mortality data for plants (Arabidopsis thaliana) and rodents (Clethrionomys glareolus) from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident region. Although these species differed strongly in intrinsic radiosensitivities and post-accident radiation exposure magnitudes, model-based analysis suggested that NTE rather than TE dominated the responses of both organisms to protracted low-dose-rate irradiation. TE were predicted to become dominant only above the highest dose rates in the data. These results support the concept of NTE involvement in radiation-induced health risks from chronic radiation exposures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Igor Shuryak
- Center for Radiological Research, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 630 West 168th Street, VC-11-234/5, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
| | - David J Brenner
- Center for Radiological Research, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 630 West 168th Street, VC-11-234/5, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Yushkova E, Bashlykova L. Transgenerational effects in offspring of chronically irradiated populations of Drosophila melanogaster after the Chernobyl accident. ENVIRONMENTAL AND MOLECULAR MUTAGENESIS 2021; 62:39-51. [PMID: 33233025 DOI: 10.1002/em.22416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Revised: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The zone of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster represents the largest area of chronic low-intensity radioactive impact on the natural ecosystems. The effects of chronic low-dose irradiation for natural populations of organisms and their offspring are unknown. The natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster sampled in 2007 in Chernobyl sites with different levels of radiation contamination were investigated. The offspring of specimens from these populations were studied under laboratory conditions to assess the effects of parental irradiation on the mutation process and survival of the offspring. Transgenerational effects of radioactive contamination were observed at the level of gross chromosomal rearrangements (dominant lethal mutations). The frequency of point/gene mutations (recessive sex-linked lethal mutations) of the offspring of the irradiated parents corresponded to the actual level of spontaneous mutations. The survival rate of offspring decreased over 160 generations and significantly correlated with the dominant lethal mutation levels. Our results provide a compelling evidence that other factors (distance from the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, time after the initial exposure, selection site and origin of population) can affect the changes in the levels of the studied parameters along with the parental radiation exposure. They can also make a significant contribution to the health of the offspring of animals exposed to radioactive contamination. These data should be useful for future radioecological studies which will clarify the true mechanisms of transgenerational inheritance and generation of mutations to the offspring of chronically irradiated animals and their reactions to the interaction of various environmental factors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elena Yushkova
- Institute of Biology of Komi Scientific Centre of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Science, Syktyvkar, Russia
| | - Ludmila Bashlykova
- Institute of Biology of Komi Scientific Centre of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Science, Syktyvkar, Russia
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Grzywa-Celińska A, Krusiński A, Mazur J, Szewczyk K, Kozak K. Radon-The Element of Risk. The Impact of Radon Exposure on Human Health. TOXICS 2020; 8:E120. [PMID: 33327615 PMCID: PMC7765099 DOI: 10.3390/toxics8040120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Revised: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Lung cancer is a heterogeneous group of diseases with multifactorial aetiology. Smoking has been undeniably recognized as the main aetiological factor in lung cancer, but it should be emphasized that it is not the only factor. It is worth noting that a number of nonsmokers also develop this disease. Radon exposure is the second greatest risk factor for lung cancer among smokers-after smoking-and the first one for nonsmokers. The knowledge about this element amongst specialist oncologists and pulmonologists seems to be very superficial. We discuss the impact of radon on human health, with particular emphasis on respiratory diseases, including lung cancer. A better understanding of the problem will increase the chance of reducing the impact of radon exposure on public health and may contribute to more effective prevention of a number of lung diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Grzywa-Celińska
- Chair and Department of Pneumonology, Oncology and Allergology, Medical University of Lublin, 20-090 Lublin, Poland;
| | - Adam Krusiński
- Chair and Department of Pneumonology, Oncology and Allergology, Medical University of Lublin, 20-090 Lublin, Poland;
| | - Jadwiga Mazur
- Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, 31-342 Krakow, Poland; (J.M.); (K.K.)
| | - Katarzyna Szewczyk
- Chair and Department of Pharmaceutical Botany, Medical University of Lublin, 20-093 Lublin, Poland;
| | - Krzysztof Kozak
- Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, 31-342 Krakow, Poland; (J.M.); (K.K.)
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Modelling the effects of ionising radiation on a vole population from the Chernobyl Red forest in an ecological context. Ecol Modell 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2020.109306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
|
36
|
Raines KE, Whitehorn PR, Copplestone D, Tinsley MC. Chernobyl-level radiation exposure damages bumblebee reproduction: a laboratory experiment. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20201638. [PMID: 33081610 PMCID: PMC7661291 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.1638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The consequences for wildlife of living in radiologically contaminated environments are uncertain. Previous laboratory studies suggest insects are relatively radiation-resistant; however, some field studies from the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone report severe adverse effects at substantially lower radiation dose rates than expected. Here, we present the first laboratory investigation to study how environmentally relevant radiation exposure affects bumblebee life history, assessing the shape of the relationship between radiation exposure and fitness loss. Dose rates comparable to the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (50-400 µGy h-1) impaired bumblebee reproduction and delayed colony growth but did not affect colony weight or longevity. Our best-fitting model for the effect of radiation dose rate on colony queen production had a strongly nonlinear concave relationship: exposure to only 100 µGy h-1 impaired reproduction by 30-45%, while further dose rate increases caused more modest additional reproductive impairment. Our data indicate that the practice of estimating effects of environmentally relevant low-dose rate exposure by extrapolating from high-dose rates may have considerably underestimated the effects of radiation. If our data can be generalized, they suggest insects suffer significant negative consequences at dose rates previously thought safe; we therefore advocate relevant revisions to the international framework for radiological protection of the environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Penelope R. Whitehorn
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology KIT, Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research Atmospheric Environmental Research (IMK-IFU), Kreuzeckbahnstraße 19, 82467 Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
| | - David Copplestone
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
| | - Matthew C. Tinsley
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Holiaka D, Fesenko S, Kashparov V, Protsak V, Levchuk S, Holiaka M. Effects of radiation on radial growth of Scots pine in areas highly affected by the Chernobyl accident. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2020; 222:106320. [PMID: 32892896 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2020.106320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Revised: 05/24/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The effects of radiation on radial growth of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) affected by the Chernobyl accident were studied at five sites with different deposition levels. The study sites were chosen along a high gradient of depositions at the distance of a few hundred meters in the forests with similar forest characteristics. Air dose rates varied at the sites from the background values up to 30 μGy h-1 as of December 1, 2016. Scots pine trees exposed to sub-lethal doses of 8.6-13.2 Gy at the "Red Forest" site did not demonstrate deviations in formation of annual rings 30 years after the Chernobyl accident compared to trees with lower doses and control trees. Variation with time in annual rings thickness did reveal that the effect of radiation in trees growing at the sites with different contamination not detectable in 1986 and 1987. Conversely, the effects were clear observed in a later period in 1989-1991, i.e. 3-5 years after the accident. Until 2000, there were statistically significant differences in the annual rings growth rates of Scots pine trees exposed to external absorbed dose rates of 4.4-6.7 mGy h-1 as estimated for June 1, 1986 (or 19.5-30.0 μGy h-1 as of December 1, 2016) compared with the trees of the other sites studied. The results comply with the conclusions from research with acute pine exposure conducted in the Kyshtym area in 1975-1984.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- D Holiaka
- Ukrainian Institute of Agricultural Radiology, National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine.
| | - S Fesenko
- Russian Institute of Radiology and Agroecology, Obninsk, Russian Federation
| | - V Kashparov
- Ukrainian Institute of Agricultural Radiology, National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine; CERAD CoE Environmental Radioactivity Department of Environmental Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1432 Aas, Norway
| | - V Protsak
- Ukrainian Institute of Agricultural Radiology, National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - S Levchuk
- Ukrainian Institute of Agricultural Radiology, National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - M Holiaka
- Ukrainian Institute of Agricultural Radiology, National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Ludovici GM, Oliveira de Souza S, Chierici A, Cascone MG, d'Errico F, Malizia A. Adaptation to ionizing radiation of higher plants: From environmental radioactivity to chernobyl disaster. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2020; 222:106375. [PMID: 32791372 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2020.106375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this work is to highlight the effects of ionizing radiation on the genetic material in higher plants by assessing both adaptive processes as well as the evolution of plant species. The effects that the ionizing radiation has on greenery following a nuclear accident, was examined by taking the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant disaster as a case study. The genetic and evolutionary effects that ionizing radiation had on plants after the Chernobyl accident were highlighted. The response of biota to Chernobyl irradiation was a complex interaction among radiation dose, dose rate, temporal and spatial variation, varying radiation sensitivities of the different plants' species, and indirect effects from other events. Ionizing radiation causes water radiolysis, generating highly reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS induce the rapid activation of detoxifying enzymes. DeoxyriboNucleic Acid (DNA) is the object of an attack by both, the hydroxyl ions and the radiation itself, thus triggering a mechanism both direct and indirect. The effects on DNA are harmful to the organism and the long-term development of the species. Dose-dependent aberrations in chromosomes are often observed after irradiation. Although multiple DNA repair mechanisms exist, double-strand breaks (DSBs or DNA-DSBs) are often subject to errors. Plants DSBs repair mechanisms mainly involve homologous and non-homologous dependent systems, the latter especially causing a loss of genetic information. Repeated ionizing radiation (acute or chronic) ensures that plants adapt, demonstrating radioresistance. An adaptive response has been suggested for this phenomenon. As a result, ionizing radiation influences the genetic structure, especially during chronic irradiation, reducing genetic variability. This reduction may be associated with the fact that particular plant species are more subject to chronic stress, confirming the adaptive theory. Therefore, the genomic effects of ionizing radiation demonstrate their likely involvement in the evolution of plant species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Andrea Chierici
- Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy; Department of Civil and Industrial Engineering, University of Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Francesco d'Errico
- Department of Civil and Industrial Engineering, University of Pisa, Italy
| | - Andrea Malizia
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Gerke HC, Hinton TG, Takase T, Anderson D, Nanba K, Beasley JC. Radiocesium concentrations and GPS-coupled dosimetry in Fukushima snakes. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 734:139389. [PMID: 32464388 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2019] [Revised: 05/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/10/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
One of the largest releases of radioactive contamination in history occurred at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP). Although the accident happened in 2011, questions still persist regarding its ecological impacts. For example, relatively little is known about radiocesium accumulation in snakes, despite their high trophic status, limited home range sizes, and close association with soil where many radionuclides accumulate. This study presents one of the most comprehensive radioecological studies of snakes published to date using a combination of whole-body radiocesium analyses, GPS transmitters, and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dosimeters. The objectives were to: 1) quantify whole-body radiocesium activity concentrations and internal dose rates among several common species of snakes within and around the Fukushima Exclusion Zone (FEZ), 2) determine effects of species, sex, and body size on radiocesium activity concentrations, 3) measure external dose rates using GPS-coupled dosimeters deployed on free-ranging snakes, 4) compare field-derived empirical dose rates to those generated by computer simulation software (i.e., the ERICA tool), and 5) determine if incorporating snake behavior into computer models improve simulated estimates of external dose. Whole-body radiocesium levels for snakes were highly variable among individuals (16 to 25,000 Bq/kg, FW), but were influenced more by levels of local contamination than species, sex, or size. Doses recorded by OSL dosimeters on snakes, as well as modeling in ERICA, suggest that individual movements and behavior have a substantial influence on dose rates to snakes. However, dose estimates produced with ERICA were comparable to dose received by tracked snakes. The average external plus internal dose rate for snakes captured in the FEZ was 3.6-3.9 μGy/h, with external dose contributing 80% to the total. Further research regarding reptile-specific benchmark dose rates would improve risk assessment for reptiles in radiologically contaminated areas.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hannah C Gerke
- University of Georgia, Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Aiken, SC 29802, USA; University of Georgia, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
| | - Thomas G Hinton
- Institute of Environmental Radioactivity, Fukushima University, 960-1248, Kanayagawa, Fukushima Prefecture, Fukushima, Japan; CERAD CoE, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Faculty for Environmental Sciences and Nature Research Management, Aas, Norway
| | - Tsugiko Takase
- Institute of Environmental Radioactivity, Fukushima University, 960-1248, Kanayagawa, Fukushima Prefecture, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Donovan Anderson
- Institute of Environmental Radioactivity, Fukushima University, 960-1248, Kanayagawa, Fukushima Prefecture, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Kenji Nanba
- Institute of Environmental Radioactivity, Fukushima University, 960-1248, Kanayagawa, Fukushima Prefecture, Fukushima, Japan
| | - James C Beasley
- University of Georgia, Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Aiken, SC 29802, USA; University of Georgia, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Yadav SK, Shukla P, Joshi M, Khan A, Kaushik A, Jha AK, Sapra BK, Singh RS. Emission characteristics of ultrafine particles from bare and Al 2O 3 coated graphite for high temperature applications. Sci Rep 2020; 10:14595. [PMID: 32884029 PMCID: PMC7471292 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-71424-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 08/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Owing to its exceptional properties at high temperature, graphite is used in several applications such as structural material and fuel block in high temperature nuclear reactors. Air ingress is one of the serious safety concerns in these reactors. Oxidation of graphite leading to increased porosity affects its mechanical strength and may lead to core collapse resulting in a severe accident. During such a scenario, generation of graphite particles could be the main hazard. Once generated, these particles often in fine and ultrafine sizes, may carry radioactivity to large distances and/or for long times. These particles owing to their higher surface to volume ratio possess an additional inhalation hazard. Ultrafine particles have the potential to enter into respiratory tract and cause damage to body organs. Coating of graphite components is preferred to reduce the oxidation induced damages at high temperatures. In the present work, effect of alumina (Al2O3) coating on the emission characteristics of particles from graphite under high temperature conditions has been investigated. Bare and Al2O3 coated graphite specimens were heated within a closed chamber at varying temperatures during these experiments. Temporal evolution of concentrations of gases (CO and CO2) and particles were measured. The results reveal that Al2O3 coating on the graphite delayed the oxidation behavior and the structure of graphite remained largely intact at high temperatures. A significant reduction in aerosol formation and CO emission was also noticed for the coated specimens.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S K Yadav
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi, 221005, India
| | - P Shukla
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi, 221005, India.
| | - Manish Joshi
- Radiological Physics and Advisory Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Center, Mumbai, India
| | - Arshad Khan
- Radiological Physics and Advisory Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Center, Mumbai, India
| | - A Kaushik
- High Temperature Reactor Section, Bhabha Atomic Research Center, Mumbai, India
| | - Ajit Kumar Jha
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi, 221005, India
| | - B K Sapra
- Radiological Physics and Advisory Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Center, Mumbai, India
| | - R S Singh
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi, India
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Reply to Kate Brown letter. JOURNAL OF RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION : OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION 2020; 40:934-939. [PMID: 32841207 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6498/ab8f7f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
|
42
|
Lerebours A, Robson S, Sharpe C, Nagorskaya L, Gudkov D, Haynes-Lovatt C, Smith JT. Transcriptional Changes in the Ovaries of Perch from Chernobyl. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2020; 54:10078-10087. [PMID: 32686935 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c02575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Fish have been highly exposed to radiation in freshwater systems after the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) accident in 1986 and in freshwater and marine systems after the more recent Fukushima NPP accident in 2011. In the years after the accident, the radioactivity levels rapidly declined due to radioactive decay and environmental processes, but chronic lower dose exposures persisted. To gain insights into the long-term effects of environmental low dose radiation on fish ovaries development, a high-throughput transcriptomic approach including a de novo assembly was applied to different gonad phenotypes of female perch: developed gonads from reference lakes, developed/irradiated from medium contaminated lake, and both developed/irradiated and undeveloped from more highly contaminated lakes. This is the most comprehensive analysis to date of the gene responses in wildlife reproductive system to radiation. Some gene responses that were modulated in irradiated gonads were found to be involved in biological processes including cell differentiation and proliferation (ggnb2, mod5, rergl), cytoskeleton organization (k1C18, mtpn), gonad development (nell2, tcp4), lipid metabolism (ldah, at11b, nltp), reproduction (cyb5, cyp17A, ovos), DNA damage repair (wdhd1, rad51, hus1), and epigenetic mechanisms (dmap1). Identification of these genes provides a better understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms underpinning the development of the gonad phenotypes of wild perch and how fish may respond to chronic exposure to radiation in their natural environment, though causal attribution of gene responses remains unclear in the undeveloped gonads.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adélaïde Lerebours
- School of the Environment, Geography and Geosciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 3QL, United Kingdom
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2DY, United Kingdom
| | - Samuel Robson
- Centre for Enzyme Innovation, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2DT, United Kingdom
| | - Colin Sharpe
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2DY, United Kingdom
| | - Liubov Nagorskaya
- Applied Science Center for Bioresources of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Minsk 220072, Belarus
| | - Dmitri Gudkov
- Institute of Hydrobiology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kiev UA-04210, Ukraine
| | | | - Jim T Smith
- School of the Environment, Geography and Geosciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 3QL, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Mothersill CE, Oughton DH, Schofield PN, Abend M, Adam-Guillermin C, Ariyoshi K, Beresford NA, Bonisoli-Alquati A, Cohen J, Dubrova Y, Geras’kin SA, Hevrøy TH, Higley KA, Horemans N, Jha AN, Kapustka LA, Kiang JG, Madas BG, Powathil G, Sarapultseva EI, Seymour CB, Vo NTK, Wood MD. From tangled banks to toxic bunnies; a reflection on the issues involved in developing an ecosystem approach for environmental radiation protection. Int J Radiat Biol 2020; 98:1185-1200. [DOI: 10.1080/09553002.2020.1793022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Paul N. Schofield
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Michael Abend
- Bundeswehr Institute of Radiobiology, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Kentaro Ariyoshi
- Integrated Center for Science and Humanities, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima City, Japan
| | | | | | - Jason Cohen
- Department of Biology and Department of Physics and Astronomy, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada
| | - Yuri Dubrova
- Department of Genetics, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | | | | | - Kathryn A. Higley
- School of Nuclear Science and Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Nele Horemans
- Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Mol, Belgium
| | - Awadhesh N. Jha
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
| | | | - Juliann G. Kiang
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Balázs G. Madas
- Environmental Physics Department, Centre for Energy Research, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gibin Powathil
- Department of Mathematics, Computational Foundry, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | | | | | - Nguyen T. K. Vo
- Department of Biology and Department of Physics and Astronomy, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada
| | - Michael D. Wood
- School of Science, Engineering & Environment, University of Salford, Salford, UK
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Newbold LK, Robinson A, Rasnaca I, Lahive E, Soon GH, Lapied E, Oughton D, Gashchak S, Beresford NA, Spurgeon DJ. Genetic, epigenetic and microbiome characterisation of an earthworm species (Octolasion lacteum) along a radiation exposure gradient at Chernobyl. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2019; 255:113238. [PMID: 31655460 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2019] [Revised: 09/09/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The effects of exposure to different levels of ionising radiation were assessed on the genetic, epigenetic and microbiome characteristics of the "hologenome" of earthworms collected at sites within the Chernobyl exclusion zone (CEZ). The earthworms Aporrectodea caliginosa (Savigny, 1826) and Octolasion lacteum (Örley, 1881) were the two species that were most frequently found at visited sites, however, only O. lacteum was present at sufficient number across different exposure levels to enable comparative hologenome analysis. The identification of morphotype O. lacteum as a probable single clade was established using a combination of mitochondrial (cytochrome oxidase I) and nuclear genome (Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) using MspI loci). No clear site associated differences in population genetic structure was found between populations using the AFLP marker loci. Further, no relationship between ionising radiation exposure levels and the percentage of methylated loci or pattern of distribution of DNA methylation marks was found. Microbiome structure was clearly site dependent, with gut microbiome community structure and diversity being systematically associated with calculated site-specific earthworm dose rates. There was, however, also co-correlation between earthworm dose rates and other soil properties, notably soil pH; a property known to affect soil bacterial community structure. Such co-correlation means that it is not possible to attribute microbiome changes unequivocally to radionuclide exposure. A better understanding of the relationship between radionuclide exposure soil properties and their interactions on bacterial microbiome community response is, therefore, needed to establish whether these the observed microbiome changes are attributed directly to radiation exposure, other soil properties or to an interaction between multiple variables at sites within the CEZ.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay K Newbold
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, MacLean Building, Benson Lane, Wallingford, Oxon, OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Alex Robinson
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, MacLean Building, Benson Lane, Wallingford, Oxon, OX10 8BB, UK
| | - I Rasnaca
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, MacLean Building, Benson Lane, Wallingford, Oxon, OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Elma Lahive
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, MacLean Building, Benson Lane, Wallingford, Oxon, OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Gweon H Soon
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, MacLean Building, Benson Lane, Wallingford, Oxon, OX10 8BB, UK; School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, Berkshire, RG6 6AH, UK
| | - Emmanuel Lapied
- Centre for Environmental Radioactivity, Norwegian University of Life Science, 1430 As, Norway
| | - Deborah Oughton
- Centre for Environmental Radioactivity, Norwegian University of Life Science, 1430 As, Norway
| | - Sergey Gashchak
- Chornobyl Center for Nuclear Safety, Radioactive Waste and Radioecology, Slavutych, Kiev Region, Ukraine
| | - Nicholas A Beresford
- NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Center, Library Av., Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA14AP, UK
| | - David J Spurgeon
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, MacLean Building, Benson Lane, Wallingford, Oxon, OX10 8BB, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Beresford NA, Gaschak S, Maksimenko A, Wood MD. Corrigendum: "The transfer of 137Cs, Pu isotopes and 90Sr to bird, bat and ground-dwelling small mammal species within the Chernobyl exclusion zone"[Journal of Environmental Radioactivity Volume 153, March 2016, Pages 231-236]. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2019; 199-200:99. [PMID: 30738503 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2019.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- N A Beresford
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4AP, UK; School of Environment & Life Sciences, University of Salford, Salford, M5 4WT, UK.
| | - S Gaschak
- Chernobyl Centre for Nuclear Safety, Radioactive Waste & Radioecology, International Radioecology Laboratory, 77th Gvardiiska Dyviiya str.11, P.O. Box 151, 07100 Slavutych, Kiev Region, Ukraine
| | - Andrey Maksimenko
- Chernobyl Centre for Nuclear Safety, Radioactive Waste & Radioecology, International Radioecology Laboratory, 77th Gvardiiska Dyviiya str.11, P.O. Box 151, 07100 Slavutych, Kiev Region, Ukraine
| | - M D Wood
- School of Environment & Life Sciences, University of Salford, Salford, M5 4WT, UK
| |
Collapse
|