Assessing the level of chromosome aberrations in peripheral blood lymphocytes in long-term resident children under conditions of high exposure to radon and its decay products

• Published in: Mutagenesis Vol. 30; no. 5; pp. 677 - 683
• Main Authors: Druzhinin, Vladimir G, Sinitsky, Maxim Yu, Larionov, Aleksey V, Volobaev, Valentin P, Minina, Varvara I, Golovina, Tatiana A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01.09.2015
• Subjects: Adolescent; Child; Chromosome Aberrations - radiation effects; DNA - radiation effects; DNA Damage; Female; Humans; Lymphocytes - radiation effects; Male; Radiation Exposure; Radioactivity; Radon - toxicity; Russia; Young Adult; Russia
• ISSN: 0267-8357; 1464-3804
• DOI: 10.1093/mutage/gev029

In this study, the frequency and spectrum of chromosomal aberrations were analysed in samples of peripheral blood from 372 (mean age = 12.24 ± 2.60 years old) long-term resident children in a boarding school (Tashtagol city, Kemerovo Region, Russian Federation) under conditions of high exposure to radon and its decay products. As a control group, we used blood samples from people living in Zarubino village (Kemerovo Region, Russian Federation). We discovered that the average frequencies of single and double fragments, chromosomal exchanges, total number of aberrations, chromatid type, chromosome type and all types of aberrations were significantly increased in the exposed group. This is evidence of considerable genotoxicity to children living under conditions of high exposure to radon compared to children living under ecological conditions without increased radon radiation.