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Znaleziono zmutowane motyle przy Fukushima
Poziom:
Temat: Nauka i technologia
BY HARUMENDHAH HELMY
ANCHOR JASMINE BAILEY
Scientists now say radiation from last year’s
collapse of the Fukushima nuclear plant in
Japan is causing genetic mutations in butterflies
found near the area. The research is one of
the first on the genetic impacts of the disaster.
CNN has more on the findings.
“Scientists discovered an increased amount
of mutations in butterflies found near the
plant, they include small wings and malformed
eyes and antennae.”
The scientists, who work at a university in
Okinawa, studied 144 pale blue grass butterflies
that were still larvae at the time of the
nuclear accident. They found mutations only
in the butterflies collected near Fukushima.
Discovery News has more on their methods.
“To test the long term fallout of the possible
radiation-induced mutations, the scientists
raised some of the butterflies from the site
in a lab far from the on-going effects of
radiation exposure near the nuclear plant.
The next generation was even more malformed
[thanp the first, even though they were raised
far from any radioactive contamination.”
The research team has been studying this pale
blue grass butterfly species for 10 years.
BBC News says the scientists believe the butterflies
are a good environmental indicator and could
show long-term effects of the disaster.
“… as previous work had shown [the pale
blue grass butterfly] is very sensitive to
environmental changes. … the findings from
their new research show that the radionuclides
released from the accident were still affecting
the development of the animals, even after
the residual radiation in the environment
had decayed.”
Now, the changes are not exactly mutations
of radical proportions, but because insects
are believed to be highly resistant to radiation,
scientists say the findings are somewhat shocking.
(Photo from BBC.)
NBC talks to one researcher who says more
studies need to be done.
“... the genetic changes found in these
butterflies indicate a disruption in Fukushima's
ecosystem … it was too early to immediately
apply these finding to humans. … [M]ore
study is needed to learn the full scope of
the effects of the radiation released into
the environment.”
