Induction of chromosome aberrations is non-linear within the low dose region and depends on dose rate

The low dose region was evaluated for meristem cells of spring barley. A study of the cytogenetic damage in the low dose range was carried out to determine the genuine shape of the dose curve. The relationship between the frequency of aberrant cells and the absorbed dose is shown to be non-linear with a site at low doses within which the cytogenetic damage exceeds the control level significantly and does not depend on dose value. Within the tested exposure region, the aberrant cell frequency is found to decrease with increasing dose rate, but the shape of the dose curve remained invariable. The piecewise linear model fits the experimental data much better than the linear one.