[Probability of lens opacity and mature cataracts due to irradiation at various LET values].
The paper reviews experimental and clinical data on the incidence of opacity of the lens and cataract development in animals and humans due to exposure to different types of radiation. Cataractogenous effectiveness of fast neutrons, accelerated ions of carbon, helium, neon and argon with the energy of 300 MeV/nucleon, and 137Cs gamma-radiation was compared. Analysis of the incidence of opacity of the lens in consequence of low doses gave high RBE estimates (from 10 to 40). The extremely high cataractogenous effectiveness of accelerated ions makes on thing that the existent space radiation limits, particularly in part of the GCR effects on the lens and permissible doses for cosmonauts, should be reconsidered towards mitigation. The authors discuss issues of threshold radiation doses that do not markedly increase incidence and rate of the lens opacity development in the post-exposure period.
Abrosimova
A N
AN
Shafirkin
A V
AV
Fedorenko
B S
BS
D000818:Animals; D002386:Cataract / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D006801:Humans; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology