At nuclear power plants More guys than girls

Provides radioactive radiation for „lost girls“ near nuclear power plants?

09/04/2014

In areas close to nuclear power plants or other nuclear facilities, more boys than girls are born. It is still unclear whether the phenomenon of „lost girl“ associated with increased radiation levels. Even after the nuclear disaster in Chernobyl, fewer girls had been born.

Long-term effect of the nuclear bomb tests and the Chernobyl disaster
Already in 2011, headlines were like „More guys by radioactive radiation“ or „Girl lack around Gorleben“ to read. At that time the biomathematiker Hagen Scherb of the German research center for health and environment in Munich had published a study, which showed that the radioactive radiation after the atomic bomb tests in the 1960er years and the nuclear catastrophe of Chernobyl in the year 1986 a long-term effect on the sex ratio in Germany has. As the researchers say, this effect is also evident among the population around nuclear facilities. Since the reactor accident in Chernobyl would therefore be missing 220,000 girls. Even the atomic-critical medical organization IPPNW had already pointed out years ago that significantly fewer girls were born after the nuclear disaster. In addition, the number of stillbirths and malformations had increased significantly.

Current study also includes neighboring countries
In a recent study, Scherb has now examined not only Germany, but also two of the neighboring countries. As various newspapers write, Scherb said: „We have shown the same effect for areas around nuclear installations in Germany, France and Switzerland - fewer girls were born than would be statistically expected.“ In Germany, the biomathematician recorded the birth rates of more than 18,000 communities in a period from 1957 to 2012. In neighboring Switzerland, there were data from 2,700 municipalities and in France between 1968 and 2011 more than 36,500 municipalities. Taken together, over 70 million births were recorded.

Effect of „lost girl“ statistically detectable
According to Scherb, a deviation from the expected gender ratio of at least one percent has to be proven for each area around nuclear facilities, ie nuclear power plants, repositories or research reactors. The studies would indeed have the effect of „lost girl“ statistically prove, but the problem is that the biomathematiker can prove with his method not that radioactive radiation is the cause. Therefore, the former director of the Institute of Human Genetics Charité in Berlin, Karl Sperling, trying to find a biological explanation of an explanation.

Shift in gender relations near nuclear plants
He has a hypothesis for the so-called „sex odds“, the shift in the gender ratio in the vicinity of nuclear facilities. „We do not know what the sex ratio is at the moment of fertilization“, said the cytogeneticist. „But what we do know is that 60 percent of fertilized eggs die unnoticed at a very early stage of pregnancy. Another ten percent of embryos have a miscarriage. This means that only 30 percent of all inseminations lead to the birth of a child.“

Change in sperm after radioactive radiation
Epigenetic changes may also occur due to very low radiation doses and more female embryos die than males, as the changes in germ cell formation may play a role and have a greater impact on the X chromosomes , as on the smaller Y chromosomes, the researchers said. A man exposed to radioactive radiation could cause a change in his sperm carrying X chromosomes. By fertilization, the change is then passed on to the resulting female embryo. If the X chromosome is altered so much that it no longer functions properly, the female embryo would not be viable.

Significant increase of newborn boy
Among other things, the X chromosome is more susceptible to such life-threatening changes in size. On the other hand, the smaller Y chromosome, which is necessary for the development of male offspring, is not so endangered. Thus, more girls die off at an early embryonic stage than male embryos and the number of male embryos is higher. Thus, more boys than girls would be born. „Scherb has so far demonstrated such a significant increase in newborn boys in 38 countries“, so sparrow. The data is complete over many years and with reference to the time when radioactive radiation occurs. This would show a dose-effect relationship.

Effect is generally questioned
The effect of „lost girl“ is questioned by Thomas Jung of the Federal Office for Radiation Protection in general. There are many studies on people exposed to radiation. For example, adults who received radiotherapy as children and later had their own children were examined. Here, too, a shift of the sex ratio has been shown, but in the opposite direction. Therefore, men who had been irradiated as a child, rather fewer boys than would be statistically expected. Here is the one described by Scherb „Lost Girl Effect“ so not detectable.

Methodological problems in studies
Von Jung also referred to methodological problems in studies, as Hagen Scherb does. Since the numbers do not show whether father or mother had been exposed to radioactive radiation, it was difficult to assess factors influencing the gender ratio. „Because these individual data are missing, one can only carry out an evaluation and interpretation of data very carefully“, so young. „The statement that rays are the cause of the changed sex ratio, therefore, is not resilient.“

The nuclear phase creates new tasks
Due to uncertainties, experts are discussing a change in the limit value for radioactive radiation. For example, Scherb and the emeritus physics professor Inge Schmitz-Feuerhake, who conducted research in the field of radiation protection, demand more attention that even small doses can be detrimental. The limits would have to be reduced. Also, the nuclear phase-out would create completely new tasks, as the decommissioning of nuclear power plants produces radioactive waste. The scientists criticize that about 95 percent of the demolition rubble would be released because they would have only low radiation levels and thus reach the environment. Sylvia Kotting-Uhl, Spokeswoman for Nuclear Policy of the Greens Parliamentary Group, said that setting limits is always a balance between health risk and what is economically feasible. She was sure that any nuclear facility would emit radiation into the environment, even if only in small quantities. She claims to provide for possible damages, even if the connection between radiation and „Lost Girl Effect“ can not be detected. (Sb)