| Dang Liankai,Li Yu'an,Wang Qingzhi,et al.Studies on the radiation effect on mammals from six nuclear tests in China[J].Chinese Journal of Radiological Medicine and Protection,2016,36(1):2-18 |
| Studies on the radiation effect on mammals from six nuclear tests in China |
| Received:December 05, 2014 |
| DOI：10.3760/cma.j.issn.0254-5098.2016.01.002 |
| KeyWords:China nuclear explosion tests Nuclear radiation Biological effects Mammals |
| FundProject:国家自然科学基金面上项目(81071958,31570851);江苏高校优势学科建设工程资助项目(PAPD) |
| Author Name | Affiliation | E-mail | | Dang Liankai | Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100101, China | dangliankai@sohu.com | | Li Yu'an | Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100101, China | | | Wang Qingzhi | Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100101, China | | | Guo Shengwu | Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100101, China | | | Shan Xiangnian | Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Science, Kunming 650223, China | | | Zhang Zhiyi | Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100101, China | | | Song Lanfang | Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100101, China | | | Chen Caiqin | Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100101, China | |
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| Abstract:: |
| Objective To study the short- and long-term effects of radiation on mammals from China's earlier nuclear tests in order to explore the mechanism of radiation injury. Methods Mammals, such as dogs, rhesus monkeys, and rats among other species, were distributed over the areas downwind of a nuclear test site during 1964-1976. They were exposed externally to γ, neutron and β radiation, and internally to 131I, 133I radiation(ingestion and inhalation). Observations of exposed animals and their offspings continued for 22 years and different aspects of clinical medicine, pathology, hematology, biochemistry, cytochemity, reprogenetics, cytogenetics and radiodosimetry were measured. Results At 3, 7 and 9 months after nuclear explosion, frequency of chromosomal aberration in peripheral blood cell of dogs exposed to dose of 0.39 Gy was 8.63%, 7.25% and 7.63%, respectively, having a statistically significant difference compared to controls (P<0.01). The frequency in rhesus monkeys exposed to 0.74 Gy was 21.00% at 6 months since exposure and 5.52% after 8.5 years, higher than controls (P<0.01); 52 days after explosion, the fertility of rats exposed to dose of 0.65-4.40 Gy declined to 30.8%-69.4%, and average number of newborns per birth tended to decrease, showing a statistically significant difference (P<0.01) compared to controls. Both sperm counts and survival rate of dogs exposed to 0.75 and 1.73 Gy decreased to 0 at 3-7 months after exposure, with a mutation frequency of up to 46.79% which was higher than controls (P<0.01). The study showed that destroyed ultrastructure of sperm and testes, damaged haemopoietic function in bone marrow, continually decreasing peripheral white blood cells and lymphocytes, as well as increased fluorescence intensity to 18.9% of red phenanhridine bromide complexes (P<0.01). Five years after exposure, dogs exposed to 2.00 Gy or more had 53.3% benign tumors and 33.3% maglignant tumors, higher than unexposed controls (P<0.01). Increased incidence was found of either orchiatrophy and cataract or thyroid gland atrophy among dogs exposed esternally or internally. Extensive and long-time coverage by radioactive fallout resulted in skin injury to dogs due to β radiation, together with long recovery term and potential for carcinogenesis. Conclusions Nuclear tests have the potential to give rise to more severe injury than neutron alone, γ-rays or X-rays, especially for hematopoietic and spermatogenic cells, depending on doses and time since exposure. Radioactive fallout potentially cause disturbances to large areas and create longterm hazards, with skin injury arising from β radiation in fallout. Even low dose exposure of radiation can pose risks. |
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