In two landmark studies, researchers have used cutting-edge genomic tools to investigate the potential health effects of exposure to ionizing radiation, a known carcinogen, from the 1986 accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in northern Ukraine. One study found no evidence that radiation exposure to parents resulted in new genetic changes being passed from […]
Melanin’s ‘trick’ for maintaining radioprotection studied
Sunbathers have long known that melanin in their skin cells provides protection from the damage caused by visible and ultraviolet light. More recent studies have shown that melanin, which is produced by multitudes of the planet’s life forms, also gives some species protection from ionizing radiation. In certain microbes, in particular some organisms from near […]
Fukushima radioactive particle release was significant, says new research
Scientists say there was a significant release of radioactive particles during the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear accident. The researchers identified the contamination using a new method and say if the particles are inhaled they could pose long-term health risks to humans. The new method allows scientists to quickly count the number of caesium-rich micro-particles in Fukushima soils […]
Prolonged exposure to low-dose radiation may increase the risk of hypertension, a known cause of heart disease and stroke
Prolonged exposure to low doses of ionizing radiation increased the risk of hypertension, according to a study of workers at a nuclear plant in Russia published in the American Heart Association’s journal Hypertension. Uncontrolled hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, can to lead to heart attack, stroke, heart failure and other serious health problems. Earlier studies linked exposure to high doses […]