biostudies-literatureBurraco PInstitut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté NucléaireMinisterio de Ciencia, Innovación y UniversidadesMarie Sklodowska-Curie ProgramSwedish Radiation Protection Agency-SSMCarl Tryggers FoundationEU FP7-EURATOMMarie Curie20509https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC8519934biostudies-literatureUnknown11(1)Ionizing radiation can damage organic molecules, causing detrimental effects on human and wildlife health. The accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant (1986) represents the largest release of radioactive material to the environment. An accurate estimation of the current exposure to radiation in wildlife, often reduced to ambient dose rate assessments, is crucial to understand the long-term impact of radiation on living organisms. Here, we present an evaluation of the sources and variation of current exposure to radiation in breeding Eastern tree frogs (Hyla orientalis) males living in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. Total absorbed dose rates in H. orientalis were highly variable, although generally below widely used thresholds considered harmful for animal health. Internal exposure wasScientific reportsAssessment of exposure to ionizing radiation in Chernobyl tree frogs (Hyla orientalis).PMC8519934SSM2018-2038Ramón y Cajal program RYC-2016-20656CT 16:344METAGE-797879COordination and iMplementation of a pan-European instrumenT for radioecology-COMET project EU- 604974Orizaola GBurraco PCar CBonzom JMfalseAssessment of exposure to ionizing radiation in Chernobyl tree frogs (Hyla orientalis).Ionizing radiation can damage organic molecules, causing detrimental effects on human and wildlife health. The accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant (1986) represents the largest release of radioactive material to the environment. An accurate estimation of the current exposure to radiation in wildlife, often reduced to ambient dose rate assessments, is crucial to understand the long-term impact of radiation on living organisms. Here, we present an evaluation of the sources and variation of current exposure to radiation in breeding Eastern tree frogs (Hyla orientalis) males living in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. Total absorbed dose rates in H. orientalis were highly variable, although generally below widely used thresholds considered harmful for animal health. Internal exposure was2021-01-01T00:00:00Z2021 Oct2025-04-04T10:55:07.792Z2025-04-04T10:55:07.792ZS-EPMC85199343465484110.1038/s41598-021-00125-9