In 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear reactor in the Soviet Union which is currently in Ukraine blastSpews huge amounts of radioactive substances into the environment. Nearly four decades later Stray dogs roam near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. They are genetically different from dogs in nearby Chernobyl. But it might not be because of the radiation.
Researchers from North Carolina State University (NC State) and Columbia University School of Public Health have concluded that genetic differences between dogs in Chernobyl and dogs near the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) are unlikely. It is caused by mutation caused by radiation. Their research is detailed on December 27. study Published in the journal Please oneIt provides insight into how serious environmental contamination affects nearby populations over time.
“We are working with two populations of dogs that, although separated by only 16 kilometers or about 10 miles, are genetically different,” said Matthew Breen of NC State, who participated in the study at the university. One said statement– “We are trying to find out whether years of low-level exposure to environmental toxins, such as radiation, lead, and others, can explain some of those differences.” in Previous genetic analysisBreen and his colleagues identified nearly 400 regions along the genome that show differences between the two dog populations. Some of them contain genes involved in repairing DNA damage.
In a recent study, the team confirmed that urban dogs are genetically similar to dogs in nearby regions such as Russia and Poland. This made the dogs representative of a control population against which NPP groups could be compared. They then looked for abnormalities and mutations in NPP dogs that might accumulate over time. For example, germline DNA mutations are alterations. that is inherited within the DNA of reproductive cells The researchers began their analysis at the chromosome level. Then gradually Expanded to smaller and smaller genetic traits.
“Think of it like using the zoom function on your phone camera to see more details. We start with a wide view of the object and zoom in,” explains Breen. “We know that, for example, high levels of radiation exposure can cause instability at the chromosome level down. Although 30 or more generations of this dog population were wiped out from the current generation during the 1986 disaster, mutations can still be detected if they confer a survival advantage to the original dogs. those But we found no such evidence in these dogs.”
In other words The researchers found no genetic mutations that could be caused by exposure to radiation. However, the evolutionary pressures caused by the nuclear reactor disaster It remains the driving force behind genetic differences between urban dogs and NPP dogs.
“In human terms, this would be like studying a population that was hundreds of years removed from the current population at the time of a disaster,” said Megan Dillon of NC State, who led the study. “It is possible that dogs that survive long enough to breed already have genetic traits that increase their ability to survive, so perhaps there was strong selection pressure at the beginning. And the dogs at the power plant remain separated from the city's population. Examining that question is an important next step we are taking.”
Actually, the side effects of the Chernobyl nuclear accident were not limited to radiation, says Kleiman of Columbia University. A person involved in this study said Toxins including heavy metals, lead powder, pesticides and asbestos (a carcinogenic mineral) are released into the environment during the cleanup process. The wide-ranging impact of a nuclear disaster on nearby dog populations is an important signal of how future contamination crises may affect human health.
“The importance of continued study of the environmental health of large-scale disasters like this cannot be overemphasized,” Kleiman said. “Because it is clear Considering our increasingly technological and industrial society, There will continue to be other such disasters in the future. And we need to understand the potential health risks and how best to protect people.”
It's also a relief to know that the puppies roaming near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant have nothing to do with the wolves from Chernobyl Diary–