Lay summaries
Scientists share their findings in the scientific community by publishing articles in journals, which are evaluated by other scientists prior to publication in a process called peer review.
The CHRC has written lay summaries of peer reviewed journal articles covering scientific topics that are relevant to our work, to share with you the key evidence produced by their research in an accessible manner.
The lay summaries are located under the following topics. Click on a topic to learn more.
Radiation cytogenetics describes the interactions between ionising radiation and chromosomes. This includes the spectra of abnormal chromosomes formed after the exposure to different doses and types of ionising radiation. It also uses the individual abnormal chromosomes to make estimates of the dose received.
It is helpful for understanding these lay summaries to first read the Basic Information on Ionising Radiation, Cellular Effects and Dosimetry.
Select a journal article below to read the lay summary.
This lay summary describes how abnormal chromosomes have been used to assess whether different groups of people including French military veterans have been exposed to ionising radiation and if appropriate make estimates of doses. Click here to read lay summary.
Full article: Gregoire, E, Roy, L, Buard, V, Delbos, M, Durand, V, Martin-Bodiot, C, Voisin, P, Sorokine-Durm, I, Vaurijoux, A, Voisin, P, Baldeyron, C and Barquinero, J.F. (2018) Twenty Years of FISH-Based Translocation Analysis for Retrospective Ionising Radiation Biodosimetry, International Journal of Radiation Biology, 94 (3), pp. 248-258.
This lay summary describes how abnormal chromosomes have been used to support evidence that American military veterans were exposed to ionising radiation and gives average dose estimates similar to prior film badge data. Click here to read the lay summary. Full article: McKenna, M.J., Robinson, E., Taylor, L., Tompkins, C., Cornforth, M.N., Simon, S.L. and Bailey, S.M. (2019) Chromosome Translocations, Inversions and Telomere Length for Retrospective Biodosimetry on Exposed U.S. Atomic Veterans, Radiation Research, 191 (4), pp. 311-322.
This lay summary describes how abnormal chromosomes have been used to assess whether New Zealand test veterans have been exposed to ionising radiation. Click here to read lay summary. Full article: Wahab, M.A., Nickless, E.M., Najar-M’Kachar, R., Parmentier, C., Podd, J.V. and Rowland, R.E. (2008) Elevated Chromosome Translocation Frequencies in New Zealand Nuclear Test Veterans, Cytogenetic and Genome Research, 121, pp. 79-87.
Reconstruction dosimetry describes the use of film-badges, environmental readings and military service records to estimate the dose received by an individual based on knowledge of the circumstances in which exposure took place.
It is helpful for understanding these lay summaries to first read the Basic Information on Ionising Radiation and Dosimetry.
Select a journal article below to read a lay summary.
This lay summary describes how service records have been used (historical reconstruction) to improve the film badge dose estimates of American military veterans. Click here to read lay summary.
Full article: Beck, H.L., Till, J.E., Grogan, H.A., Aanenson, J.W., Mohler, J.H., Mohler, S.S. and Voilleque, P.G. (2017) Red Bone Marrow and Male Breast Doses for a Cohort of Atomic Veterans, Radiation Research, 187, pp. 221-228.
This lay summary describes how service records have been used (historical reconstruction) to improve the film badge dose estimates of American military veterans who took part in Operation Plumbbob including the Smoky nuclear test. Click here to read the lay summary.
Full article: Caldwell, G.G., Zack, M.M., Mumma, M.T., Falk, H., Heath, C.W., Till, J.E., Chen, H. and Boice, J.D. (2016) Mortality Among Military Participants at the 1957 Plumbbob Nuclear Weapons Test Series and from Leukaemia Among Participants at the Smoky Test, Journal of Radiological Protection, 36, pp. 474-489.
This lay summary describes how abnormal chromosomes and service records (historical reconstruction) have been used to confirm that American military veterans were exposed to ionising radiation and that reconstruction and chromosomes produce similar estimates to film badges. Click here to read lay summary.
Full article: Simon, S.L., Bailey, S.M., Beck, H.L., Boice, J.D., Bouville, A., Brill, A.B., Cornforth, M.N., Inskip, P.D., McKenna, M.J., Mumma, M.T., Salazar, S.I. and Ukwuani, A. (2019) Estimation of Radiation Doses to U.S. Military Test Participants from Nuclear Testing: A Comparison of Historical Film Badge Measurements, Dose Reconstruction and Retrospective Biodosimetry, Radiation Research, 191, pp. 297-310.
Germline mutations includes publications which use DNA sequence techniques to look for newly arising DNA mutations in children of radiation exposed parents.
It is helpful for understanding these lay summaries to first read the Basic Information on Radiation and Health and Radiation and Heredity.
Select a journal article below to read a lay summary.
This lay summary describes research examining whether children of parents who were exposed in the 1986 Chernobyl accident, had elevated levels of newly arising, or de novo, DNA mutations. Click here to read lay summary.
Full article: Yeager M, Machiela MJ, Kothiyal P, Dean M, Bodelon C, Suman S, Wang M, Mirabello L, Nelson CW, Zhou W, Palmer C, Ballew B, Colli L, Freedman ND, Dagnall C, Hutchinson A, Vij V, Maruvka Y, Hatch M, Illienko I, Belayev Y, Nakamura N, Chumak V, Bakhanova E, Belyi D, Kryuchkov V, Golovanov I, Gudzenko N, Cahoon EK, Albert P, Drozdovitch V, Little MP, Mabuchi K, Stewart C, Getz G, Bazyka D, Berrington A, Chanock SJ. (2021) Lack of transgenerational effects of ionizing radiation exposure from the Chernobyl accident. Science 372 (6543), 725-729.
This lay summary describes how researchers looked for newly arising DNA mutations in children of accidentally exposed parents. Click here to read lay summary.
Full article: Costa, E.O.A., Pinto, I.P., Gonçalves, M.W. et al. (2018) Small de novo CNVs as biomarkers of parental exposure to low doses of ionizing radiation of caesium-137.Journal Scientific Reports 8, 5914. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-23813-5.
This lay summary describes research looking to detect if any changes had occurred to the germline (inheritable) DNA of Kazakhstani people living in regions contaminated by historical nuclear testing. Click here to read lay summary.
Full article: Dubrova, Y.E., Bersimbaev, R.I., Djansugurova, L.B., Tankimanova, M.K., Mamyrbaeva, Z. Zh., Mustonen, R., Lindholm, C., Hulten, M. and Salomaa, S. (2002) Nuclear Weapons Tests and Human Germline Mutation Rate, Science, 295(5557), p. 1037.
This lay summary describes research examining whether children of atomic-bomb survivors have heritable DNA mutations due to their parents exposure to radiation. Click here to read lay summary.
Full article: Horai, M., Mishima, H., Hayashida, C. et al. (2018) Detection of de novo single nucleotide variants in offspring of atomic-bomb survivors close to the hypocenter by whole-genome sequencing. Journal of Human Genetics 63, pp. 357–363. https://doi.org/10.1038/s10038-017-0392-9.
Trinity test studies: Trinity was the first detonation of a nuclear device in the history of the world, taking place in New Mexico on the 16th July 1945. Research examining the environmental contamination, radiation doses and, estimates of health risks for local residents are all described in this collection of papers.
It is helpful for understanding these lay summaries to first read the Basic Information on Dosimetry, Epidemiology and Radiation and Health.
Select a journal article below to read a lay summary.
This lay summary describes the methods used to collect historical information on diet, lifestyle and living conditions which was then used to make estimates of exposure to radiation. Click here to read lay summary.
Full article: Potischman, N., Salazar, S. I., Scott, M. A., Naranjo, M., Haozous, E., Bouville, A., & Simon, S. L. (2020). Methods and Findings on Diet and Lifestyle Used to Support Estimation of Radiation Doses from Radioactive Fallout from the Trinity Nuclear Test. Health Physics, 119(4), 390–399. https://doi.org/10.1097/HP.0000000000001303.
This lay summary describes the methods used to make estimates of exposure to radiation. Click here to read the lay summary.
Full article: Bouville, A., Beck, H. L., Thiessen, K. M., Hoffman, F. O., Potischman, N., & Simon, S. L. (2020). The Methodology Used to Assess Doses from the First Nuclear Weapons Test (Trinity) to the Populations of New Mexico. Health Physics, 119(4), 400–427. https://doi.org/10.1097/HP.0000000000001331.
This lay summary describes the calculated estimates of radiation doses to organs at greatest risk of exposure from fallout. Click here to read lay summary.
Full article: Simon, S. L., Bouville, A., Beck, H. L., & Melo, D. R. (2020). Estimated Radiation Doses Received by New Mexico Residents from the 1945 Trinity Nuclear Test. Health Physics, 119(4), 428–477. https://doi.org/10.1097/HP.0000000000001328.
This lay summary describes the distribution and potential health risks of unfissioned plutonium which has contaminated the New Mexico state. Click here to read lay summary.
Full article: Beck, H. L., Simon, S. L., Bouville, A., & Romanyukha, A. (2020). Accounting for Unfissioned Plutonium from the Trinity Atomic Bomb Test. Health Physics, 119(4), 504–516. https://doi.org/10.1097/HP.0000000000001146.
This lay summary describes the calculated estimates of the additional cancers in residents likely to be attributed to exposure from trinity fallout. Click here to read lay summary.
Full article: Cahoon, E. K., Zhang, R., Simon, S. L., Bouville, A., & Pfeiffer, R. M. (2020). Projected Cancer Risks to Residents of New Mexico from Exposure to Trinity Radioactive Fallout. Health Physics, 119(4), 478–493. https://doi.org/10.1097/HP.0000000000001333.