Baseline Frequency of Chromosomal Aberrations in Control Donors: A Significant Value for Population Monitoring During...

Due to the advanced plans for the development of nuclear power plants in Poland, those who are to live around nuclear facilities may have unjustified doubts about their own radiation safety. Moreover, when future power plant workers will be potentially exposed to low, cumulative doses of ionizing radiation, it seems important to develop cytogenetic methods for showing the actual genotoxic effects of environmental or occupational nuclear influences. The method of analyzing the frequency of chromosomal type aberrations in peripheral blood lymphocytes remains one of the most significant possibilities in achieving this goal. Three techniques are used to monitor aberration frequency, i.e., most commonly, Giemsa staining (FPG), FISH, or M-FISH. The types of aberrations determined by Giemsa-staining preparation will be described in detail, and issues with the nomenclature of these aberrations will be discussed. To effectively explore small changes in aberration yields, studies of aberration rates in non-exposed populations are needed. Such a dataset has been generated at the Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology (INCT), Warsaw, Poland. This database would allow for the assessment of the genotoxic impact of planned nuclear facilities, the impact of radon in areas within its increased concentration, or the impact of such a working environment on, for example, medical workers working with radiation.