Plants in the Light of Ionizing Radiation: What Have We Learned From Chernobyl, Fukushima, and Other “Hot” Places?
Perhaps the main factor determining success of space travel will be the ability to control effects of ionizing radiation for humans, but also for other living organisms. Manned space travel will require the cultivation of food plants under conditions of prolonged exposure to ionizing radiation. Alth...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2020-05-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Plant Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpls.2020.00552/full |
| _version_ | 1819267717354487808 |
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| author | Timothy A. Mousseau Timothy A. Mousseau Anders Pape Møller Anders Pape Møller |
| author_facet | Timothy A. Mousseau Timothy A. Mousseau Anders Pape Møller Anders Pape Møller |
| author_sort | Timothy A. Mousseau |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Perhaps the main factor determining success of space travel will be the ability to control effects of ionizing radiation for humans, but also for other living organisms. Manned space travel will require the cultivation of food plants under conditions of prolonged exposure to ionizing radiation. Although there is a significant literature concerning the effects of acute high dose rate exposures on plant genetics, growth, and development, much less is known concerning the effects of chronic low dose irradiation especially those related to the impacts of the high energy protons and heavy ions that are encountered in the space environment. Here, we make the argument that in situ studies of the effects of radionuclides at nuclear accident sites (e.g., Chernobyl and Fukushima), atomic bomb test sites, and areas of naturally high radiation levels, could provide insights concerning the mechanisms of radiation effects on living systems that cannot be assessed short of conducting research in space, which is not yet feasible for large scale, long term, multigenerational experiments. In this article we review the literature concerning the effects of chronic low-dose rate radiation exposure from studies conducted in Chernobyl, Fukushima, and other regions of the world with high ambient radiation levels (parts of India in particular). In general, mutation rates and other measures of genetic damage are considerably elevated, pollen and seed viability are reduced, growth rates are slower, and the frequency of developmental abnormalities is increased, although there is considerable variation among taxa for these effects. In addition, there are interactions between radiation and other environmental stressors (e.g., temperature, drought, heavy metals) that may play important roles in determining susceptibility to radiation induced stress. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-23T21:21:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7561d02b64d0462e8b76745b6f8dd5b2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-462X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-23T21:21:36Z |
| publishDate | 2020-05-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Plant Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-7561d02b64d0462e8b76745b6f8dd5b22022-12-21T17:30:43ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Plant Science1664-462X2020-05-011110.3389/fpls.2020.00552518704Plants in the Light of Ionizing Radiation: What Have We Learned From Chernobyl, Fukushima, and Other “Hot” Places?Timothy A. Mousseau0Timothy A. Mousseau1Anders Pape Møller2Anders Pape Møller3Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United StatesSURA/LASSO/NASA, ISS Utilization and Life Sciences Division, Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, FL, United StatesMinistry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, ChinaEcologie Systématique Evolution, Université Paris-Sud, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, FrancePerhaps the main factor determining success of space travel will be the ability to control effects of ionizing radiation for humans, but also for other living organisms. Manned space travel will require the cultivation of food plants under conditions of prolonged exposure to ionizing radiation. Although there is a significant literature concerning the effects of acute high dose rate exposures on plant genetics, growth, and development, much less is known concerning the effects of chronic low dose irradiation especially those related to the impacts of the high energy protons and heavy ions that are encountered in the space environment. Here, we make the argument that in situ studies of the effects of radionuclides at nuclear accident sites (e.g., Chernobyl and Fukushima), atomic bomb test sites, and areas of naturally high radiation levels, could provide insights concerning the mechanisms of radiation effects on living systems that cannot be assessed short of conducting research in space, which is not yet feasible for large scale, long term, multigenerational experiments. In this article we review the literature concerning the effects of chronic low-dose rate radiation exposure from studies conducted in Chernobyl, Fukushima, and other regions of the world with high ambient radiation levels (parts of India in particular). In general, mutation rates and other measures of genetic damage are considerably elevated, pollen and seed viability are reduced, growth rates are slower, and the frequency of developmental abnormalities is increased, although there is considerable variation among taxa for these effects. In addition, there are interactions between radiation and other environmental stressors (e.g., temperature, drought, heavy metals) that may play important roles in determining susceptibility to radiation induced stress.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpls.2020.00552/fullplantsionizing radiationChernobylFukushimamutation |
| spellingShingle | Timothy A. Mousseau Timothy A. Mousseau Anders Pape Møller Anders Pape Møller Plants in the Light of Ionizing Radiation: What Have We Learned From Chernobyl, Fukushima, and Other “Hot” Places? Frontiers in Plant Science plants ionizing radiation Chernobyl Fukushima mutation |
| title | Plants in the Light of Ionizing Radiation: What Have We Learned From Chernobyl, Fukushima, and Other “Hot” Places? |
| title_full | Plants in the Light of Ionizing Radiation: What Have We Learned From Chernobyl, Fukushima, and Other “Hot” Places? |
| title_fullStr | Plants in the Light of Ionizing Radiation: What Have We Learned From Chernobyl, Fukushima, and Other “Hot” Places? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Plants in the Light of Ionizing Radiation: What Have We Learned From Chernobyl, Fukushima, and Other “Hot” Places? |
| title_short | Plants in the Light of Ionizing Radiation: What Have We Learned From Chernobyl, Fukushima, and Other “Hot” Places? |
| title_sort | plants in the light of ionizing radiation what have we learned from chernobyl fukushima and other hot places |
| topic | plants ionizing radiation Chernobyl Fukushima mutation |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpls.2020.00552/full |
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