Dose reconstruction supports the interpretation of decreased abundance of mammals in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.

ABSTRACT: We re-analyzed field data concerning potential effects of ionizing radiation on the abundance of mammals collected in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ) to interpret these findings from current knowledge of radiological dose-response relationships, here mammal response in terms of abundance. In line with recent work at Fukushima, and exploiting a census conducted in February 2009 in the CEZ, we reconstructed the radiological dose for 12 species of mammals observed at 161 sites. We used this new information rather than the measured ambient dose rate (from 0.0146 to 225 µGy h^-1) to statistically analyze the variation in abundance for all observed species as established from tracks in the snow in previous field studies. All available knowledge related to relevant confounding factor

SUBMITTER: Beaugelin-Seiller K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7442794 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature