Radioadaptation of rodents in the zone of local radioactive contamination (Kyshtim Accident, Russia): 50 years on

Institute of Plant & Animal Ecology, RAS Ural Branch, 8 Marta Str., 202, 620144 Ekaterinburg, Russia

Abstract

Results of radioecological investigations of rodents having different ecological specialization – wood and field mice, northern red-backed voles and mole-voles to acute (laboratory experiment) and chronic (long-term inhabiting the East Ural Radioactive Trace – EURT) irradiation are summarized. These species are greatly distinguished by a way of life, a migratory activity, an average life span etc. Numerous immunological, hematological and cytogenetical disturbances were found in more radioresistant wood and field mice and northern red-backed voles inhabiting the EURT zone (density of soil pollution by ⁹⁰Sr-18.5 MBq/m²=500 Ci/km²) as compared with the reference samples. On the contrary there were no pathological shifts in more radiosensitive mole-voles from the more radioactively contaminated site (⁹⁰Sr-37 MBq/m²=1000 Ci/km². The absorbed dozes during the life for the mole-voles from the EURT zone were significantly higher (in 30 times) than these ones for mice and voles. These data testify about the possibility of radioadaptation in a series of generations in mole-voles that developed due to their ecophysiological features and isolation of settlement in the radiocontaminated zone. Mice and voles form a flowing population and slip off the prolonged influence of a damaging factor, this circumstance prevents the development of radioadaptation.