In 1986, the accident in the No. 4 reactor of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant was one of the only two nuclear accidents that were rated as the seventh level (the other was the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan).
There is no doubt that acute exposure to high doses of radiation has a serious impact on the environment and biology. But more than 30 years after the accident, today's Chernobyl has become one of the largest nature reserves in Europe. Today, biodiversity is thriving there, with various endangered species including bears, wolves and lynx finding shelter there.
Falsification, debate, and the current universal consensus in the scientific community
According to the International Atomic Agency's assessment, the Chernobyl disaster triggered the release of radiocontaminant into the atmosphere in the form of particles and gaseous radioisotope . As of 2022, this is the largest radioactive substance in the world known to release to the environment .
There has been scientific debate on how much the animals and plants in this area are affected by radioactive contamination after the accident. Research at the early stage of
shows that in highly radiocontaminated areas, animal density and abundance in several taxa, including birds, insects, spiders and mammals, has decreased. Among them, led by a scientist named Anders Pape Møller (University of Paris, France), published about 9 papers related to ecology, evolution and non-human biology in the Chernobyl region.
result was quickly criticized - Møller's paper is flawed. Add to that Møller’s previous paper was accused of forging data, in 2004, the Danish Commission on Science Disgrace (DCSD) reported that Møller was guilty of “scientific dishonesty.”
Whether the scientist is "crime or not", as human activities stop, the number of large mammals in the Chernobyl region, visible to the naked eye, thrives . According to the National Geographic magazine, gray wolf , badger, wild boar, roe roe, white tailed eagle, black stork , western swamp harrier , short-eared owl , red deer, moose , great egret , swan , small weasel, kestrel and beavers have increased exponentially and began to expand outside the region.
This aroused great scientific interest - is radiation a decoration? Adaptation of
species
There is no doubt that radiation can destroy the genetic material of living organisms and produce adverse mutations.
However, one of the most interesting research topics in facing Chernobyl is to detect whether species are really adapting to radiation.
Like other pollutants, radiation may be a very strong selective factor, so when organisms are "selected", they should have mechanisms that facilitate survival in areas contaminated by radioactive substances.
In 2016, scientists found several unusual orientalis near the damaged nuclear reactor —a species usually has a bright green back color, however, the tree frog found is close to pure black.
Melanin is a dark cause of many organisms.
We have somehow heard the argument that "black people are not afraid of sunshine". Indeed, melanin can reduce the negative impact of ultraviolet radiation. But what is little known is that the protective effect of melanin can be extended to nuclear radiation : absorb and dissipate part of the radiation energy. In addition, it can remove and neutralize ionizing molecules in cells such as reactive oxygen species .
This greatly reduces the chances of individuals exposed to radiation to suffer from cell damage and increases their chances of survival.
evolved, and just under the nose
After detecting the first batch of black frogs, researchers conducted detailed examination of the colors of oriental tree frogs in different regions from 2017 to 2019.
In the past three years, the back skin color of more than 200 male frogs captured in 12 different breeding pools was analyzed. These places are distributed along a large gradient of radioactive pollution—including outside isolation areas, low radiation, and some of the most radioactive areas on Earth.
researchers explained in the latest issue of "Evolutionary Application" in 2022: The color of tree frog in the Chernobyl region is much darker than that in other regions, and is basically pitch black.
study results show that Chernobyl frogs may have undergone a rapid evolutionary process to cope with radiation. In this case, the minority groups of tree frogs with darker colors at the time of the accident, will be favored by the protection of melanin.
The darker the color the tree frog lives better under radiation and will reproduce more successfully. Over the past 30 years, these tree frogs have undergone generational replacements of about ten generations of frogs - this classic natural selection process is really very rapid.
written at the end
The study of Chernobyl black frog is the first step to better understand the protective role of melanin in an environment affected by radiocontamination.
was not mutated by radiation, but after evolutionary selection, the black frog survived better...Well, I wonder if I should tan myself properly now?
Author thanks for your attention (- _-)
