[Relative biological effectiveness of highly active mixed gamma-neutron 252Cf radiation]

Comprehensive radiobiological studies of the relative biological and genetic efficacy (RBE and RGE) of powerful 252Cf radiation (the ANET-B unit) were conducted using research tools of various radiosensitivity (bacteria, Drosophila, Chinese hamster cells, murine thymocytes, human and murine bone marrow stem cells, human peripheral blood lymphocytes, Lewis lung carcinoma cells). It was shown in the tests of reproductive or interphase death and chromosome aberrations that the RBE and the RGE values of a 252Cf new source varied within the same limits from 1.3 to 3.0 whereas in the tests of gene mutations the RGE of the source did not exceed the efficacy of 60Co gamma-radiation and in some cases it was much lower. Thus the RBE of the new source in induced lethal and chromosome damages was 2-4 times lower than the efficacy of a low-activity 252Cf source used now in radiotherapy.