title: Low-Dose γ-Irradiation Affects the Survival of Exposed Daphnia and their Offspring.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the long-term effects of exposure to low-dose γ-irradiation on survival and life span in directly irradiated Daphnia magna and their offspring.
  
  
  METHODS
  One-day-old Daphnia magna were exposed to 10, 100 and 1000 mGy of acute γ-rays. The life-span of irradiated and control animals, as well as their non-exposed progeny was analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Irradiation at dose of 100 and 1000 mGy resulted in a significant decrease in the life span of irradiated Daphnia. The data presented here also show that the survival of non-exposed first-generation offspring of irradiated parents is significantly compromised, thus implying the presence of transgenerational effects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of our study show that low-dose irradiation significantly reduces the life-span of directly exposed Daphnia and their first-generation offspring. The observed compromised viability is most likely attributed to non-targeted effects of ionizing radiation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Obninsk Institute of Nuclear Power Engineering of the National Research Nuclear University "MEPhI", Studgorodok, 1, Kaluga region, 249040, Obninsk, Russian Federation.
authors.forename: Elena I
authors.initials: EI
authors.lastname: Sarapultseva
authors.forename: Anton I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Gorski
keywords: Daphnia; life-span; low-dose irradiation; transgenerational