Radiation effects in the offspring of chronically exposed parents

In mice who had been chronically exposed to low levels of ionizing radiation before mating, the effect of these exposures on the offspring was examinated with special regard to early post-natal development, radiation resistance as well as the frequency of cytogenetic variations of bone-marrow cells. Furthermore, studies have been undertaken on the spontaneous incidence of cytogenetic aberrations in peripheral blood lymphocytes of newborns in two cities of the U.S.S.R., but no correlation could be found wih the gamma dose rates (5 - 50 μR/h) ascertained in the parental flats. (author)