Dose-response relationships for yields of major eye malformations following low doses of radiation to trout sperm.

Abstract

Low doses of ionizing radiation in the range 25-400 rad to mature trout sperm have resulted in major eye malformations in the immediate off-spring, with frequencies which fit a linear regression curve. A weighted mean of the responses per unit dose indicates that approximately 54 rad would be required to double the rate of malformations observed in the controls. It is believed that the major eye malformations observed in the present work are due predominantly to chromosome aberrations induced in the mature sperm. The reasons for the interpretation and the relevance of the observed linearity to the problem of protecting man against radiation-induced genetic injury are discussed.