Environmental Radiation Effects on Mammals

Dr. Smirnova's updated text is devoted to the theoretical studies of radiation effects on mammals, summarizing the results obtained by the author herself over 35 years of analyzing dose rate equivalents for the Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR) and for Solar Particles Events (SPE). It includes two new chapters chapters on skin epidermal epithelium and risk assessment for myeloid leukemia, as well as extended revisions addressing the radiation effects on the blood-forming system. Effects of both acute and chronic irradiation on the dynamics of vital body systems (hematopoietic system, small intestine, skin epidermis, and humoral immunity), on the development of autoimmune diseases, and on the mortality dynamics in homogeneous and nonhomogeneous (in radiosensitivity) mammalian populations are investigated within developed mathematical models. The proposed methodology of these studies, the models themselves, and the obtained results are of a great theoretical significance and can find the wide practical use. §The theoretical investigations presented here can find wide practical use. Specifically, the developed mathematical models of the vital body systems form the theoretical tools for estimation the hazard for the health for humans exposed to acute/chronic irradiation in wide ranges of dose and dose rates, e.g., for astronauts engaging in long-term space missions, for people residing in contaminated areas after an accident or explosion of a dirty bomb, as well as for patients treated with radiotherapy. The obtained modeling predictions would help the decision makers to take the proper decisions for operational applications of all necessary countermeasures. In turn, the models of the radiation-induced mortality lay down the theoretical foundations of a new individual-based approach to the radiation risk assessment. These models enable one to predict the mortality dynamics and the average life-span shortening for an individual and for populations exposed to acute and, that is most important, to low level chronic irradiation. Thus, the monograph can be of benefit to aerospace companies and to corporations that deal with the problems of the environmental protection and radiation safety, as well as to practitioners and professionals working in the aforementioned fields.§