CHROMOSOME-ABERRATIONS IN SYRIAN-HAMSTERS FOLLOWING VERY-LOW RADIATION-DOSES IN-VIVO

This paper addresses a report of a large increase (similar to 6- to 11 -fold) in chromosome aberrations in lymphocytes of persons in Salzburg attributed to their exposure to fallout from the Chernobyl cloud. The ir additional exposure, similar to 0.3 mGy in 1 year, comprised about a 30% increase in their normal background radiation dose. The report h as attracted considerable attention because, if correct, it seriously challenges assumptions of linearity in the low-dose response for chrom osomal damage and, by implication, the linear, no-threshold hypothesis for risk of induced cancer. An experiment has been carried oct with S yrian hamsters treated with caesium-137 to produce a range of doses co mparable with those calculated for the persons in Salzburg. No signifi cant elevation in lymphocyte aberration yields was found in the hamste rs, thus arguing against the conclusions of the Salzburg study.