Daniel Clevenger
Pronouns: He/Him/His
UROP Fellowship: Biomedical and Life Sciences
Research Mentor(s): Lynn Carpenter, PhD
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology
Presentation Date: Tuesday, July 28, 2020 | Session 2 | Presenter: 2
Authors: Daniel Clevenger and Lynn Carpenter
Abstract
Nuclear power plant disasters provide unique opportunities to study the impacts of radiation on the environment, particularly to long-lived species. Trees typically live for decades and are potentially sensitive enough to retain a genetic signal of an environmental perturbation while being resilient enough to recover from minor exposures. These genetic signals occur through somatic mutations that happen throughout the tree’s lifetime. On March 28, 1979, the United States experienced its worst nuclear accident to date as the Three Mile Island #2 reactor partially melted down. Fission products, mostly comprised of radioactive noble gasses, were immediately released into the environment. The older literature is relatively consistent in terms of the radiation released into the environment but often conflicts with newer studies that suggest much higher levels ( higher levels are more in line with residents’ testimony). The official record says that no one received more than 1 mSv with most receiving 100 μSv; well below annual background rates. However, some residents reported symptoms that resembled acute radiation poisoning (sore throats, metal taste, etc.) along with papers drawing correlations to certain types of cancers detected in the area to the radiation released suggesting much higher levels. Ionizing radiation can lead to the destruction of DNA and thus interfere with cellular processes for humans (radiation poisoning) as well as plants (somatic mutations) living in the area. The detection of somatic damage to trees, in the form of increased mutation rates as well as the nature of the mutations themselves, can provide insight into the levels of radiation they were exposed to as well as the long-term impacts of such damage. Research concerning environmental impacts from Chernobyl and Fukushima were collected to provide a comparison to genetic aberrations in trees for future genetic tree studies near Three Mile Island (to take place in Fall). This literature review will provide us with a baseline to compare against. Ultimately, the study of plants and trees in radioactive environments can give a better understanding of molecular mechanisms that have future implications from bioremediation projects to how plants can survive cosmic radiation for deep space travel and potential life on other planets.
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Research Disciplines
Biomedical Sciences, Natural Sciences, Life Sciences
