Individual whole-body concentration of 137Cesium is associated with decreased blood counts in children in the Chernobyl-contaminated areas, Ukraine, 2008–2010

Lindgren, Anna; Stepanova, Ye.; Vdovenko, Vitaliy; McMahon, Daria M.; Litvinetz, Oksana; Leonovich, Elena; Karmaus, Wilfried

doi:10.1038/jes.2013.60

Cited by 19 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…The Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) accident is the second largest nuclear accident next to the Chernobyl accident in the history of mankind. Epidemiological and physiological studies on humans following the Chernobyl accident that assessed infant leukemia [ 1 – 6 ], infant mortality [ 7 , 8 ], blood cell counts [ 9 ], and thyroid cancer [ 10 , 11 ], and ecological studies on wild organisms, including plants, insects, birds and small mammals [ 12 – 21 ], have accumulated evidence that indicates a number of biological impacts of the accident. In these studies, ingestional risks and transgenerational effects are discussed.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ingestional and transgenerational effects of the Fukushima nuclear accident on the pale grass blue butterfly

et al. 2015

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One important public concern in Japan is the potential health effects on animals and humans that live in the Tohoku-Kanto districts associated with the ingestion of foods contaminated with artificial radionuclides from the collapsed Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant. Additionally, transgenerational or heritable effects of radiation exposure are also important public concerns because these effects could cause long-term changes in animal and human populations. Here, we concisely review our findings and implications related to the ingestional and transgenerational effects of radiation exposure on the pale grass blue butterfly, Zizeeria maha, which coexists with humans. The butterfly larval ingestion of contaminated leaves found in areas of human habitation, even at low doses, resulted in morphological abnormalities and death for some individuals, whereas other individuals were not affected, at least morphologically. This variable sensitivity serves as a basis for the adaptive evolution of radiation resistance. The distribution of abnormality and mortality rates from low to high doses fits well with a Weibull function model or a power function model. The offspring generated by morphologically normal individuals that consumed contaminated leaves exhibited high mortality rates when fed contaminated leaves; importantly, low mortality rates were restored when they were fed non-contaminated leaves. Our field monitoring over 3 years (2011–2013) indicated that abnormality and mortality rates peaked primarily in the fall of 2011 and decreased afterwards to normal levels. These findings indicate high impacts of early exposure and transgenerationally accumulated radiation effects over a specific period; however, the population regained normality relatively quickly after ∼15 generations within 3 years.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ingestional and transgenerational effects of the Fukushima nuclear accident on the pale grass blue butterfly

et al. 2015

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“…Ukraine, (symbol ∆ in the figure) derives from published data [15]. also given in Figure 12 [15]. The extrapolated value of whole-body measurements of Cs in the Swedish Sami population from 1994 to 2007 is about twice the Ukraine value.…”

Section: The Chernobyl Accidentmentioning

confidence: 91%

“…In the most contaminated areas, there were some individuals with levels above 1000 Bq/kgBW. Ukraine, (symbol ∆ in the figure) derives from published data [15]. also given in Figure 12 [15].…”

Section: The Chernobyl Accidentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gamma-Ray Emitting Radionuclides in People Living in Northern Sub Arctic Regions

Persson¹

2019

Use of Gamma Radiation Techniques in Peaceful Applications

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In 1960 Caesium-137 activity from atmospheric nuclear weapons test was discovered in measurements at the whole body gamma-ray counting laboratory in Lund. This event initiated measurements of the Swedish Sami population, and in products from reindeer that bite lichens in the Swedish mountains. A semi-portable whole-body counter designed with a detection limit for 137 Cs at high radiation background areas which was good enough for measuring people with high body concentration of 137 Cs. The 137 Cs activity concentration in Sami people increased during 1963-1965 from 300 to 600 Bq/kg body weight. Some individual males had values above 1000 Bq/kg. The catastrophic nuclear accident on the 25-26 April 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant caused a massive release of fission-and neutron-activation products to the atmosphere. Already the following day the atmospheric plume of released radioactivity reached Sweden and was deposited over the central part of Sweden also in Sami populated reindeer raising districts. During 1991 and 1992 whole-body content of 137 Cs was measured in the Sami population of northern Sweden and similar levels were found as during 1963-1965. These levels are about twice those estimated in people living in the Chernobyl contaminated area.

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“…The technical characteristics of “SCRINNER-3M”, calibration and measurement protocol were described in detail elsewhere [26]. To preserve the longitudinal comparisons of the samples, we only used individual whole-body count of 137 Cs for comparison of exposure measures.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of long-term low-level radiation exposure after the Chernobyl catastrophe on immunoglobulins in children residing in contaminated areas: prospective and cross-sectional studies

et al. 2014

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BackgroundAfter the Chernobyl nuclear incident in 1986, children in the Narodichesky region, located 80 km west of the Chernobyl Power Plant, were exposed to 137Cesium (137Cs). Little is known about the effects of chronic low-level radiation on humoral immune responses in children residing in contaminated areas.MethodsIn four different approaches we investigated the effect of residential 137Cs exposure on immunoglobulins A, G, M, and specific immunoglobulin E in children. In a dynamic cohort (1993–1998) we included 617 children providing 2,407 repeated measurements; 421 and 523 children in two cross-sectional samples (1997–1998 and 2008–2010, respectively); and 25 participants in a small longitudinal cohort (1997–2010). All medical exams, blood collections, and analyses were conducted by the same team. We used mixed linear models to analyze repeated measurements in cohorts and general linear regression models for cross-sectional studies.ResultsResidential soil contamination in 2008 was highly correlated with the individual body burden of 137Cs. Serum IgG and IgM concentrations increased between 1993 and 1998. Children with higher 137Cs soil exposure had lower serum IgG levels, which, however, increased in the small cohort assessed between 1997 and 2010. Children within the fourth quintile of 137Cs soil exposure (266–310 kBq/m2) had higher IgM serum concentrations between 1993 and 1998 but these declined between 1997 and 2010. IgA remained stable with median 137Cs exposures related to higher IgA levels, which was corroborated in the cross-sectional study of 2008–2010. Specific IgE against indoor allergens was detected less often in children with higher 137Cs exposure.ConclusionsOur findings show radiation-related alterations of immunoglobulins which by themselves do not constitute adverse health effects. Further investigations are necessary to understand how these changes affect health status.

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Individual whole-body concentration of 137Cesium is associated with decreased blood counts in children in the Chernobyl-contaminated areas, Ukraine, 2008–2010

Cited by 19 publications

References 14 publications

Ingestional and transgenerational effects of the Fukushima nuclear accident on the pale grass blue butterfly

Ingestional and transgenerational effects of the Fukushima nuclear accident on the pale grass blue butterfly

Gamma-Ray Emitting Radionuclides in People Living in Northern Sub Arctic Regions

Effects of long-term low-level radiation exposure after the Chernobyl catastrophe on immunoglobulins in children residing in contaminated areas: prospective and cross-sectional studies

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