Making love in the time of radioactivity
the Chernobyl nuclear disaster has not only affected human beings, but has even drastically changed the lives of worms. Scientists have recently discovered that worms exposed to excess radiation have started copulating instead of reproducing asexually.
This find is the first clear evidence of how wildlife is affected by radioactive pollution. Although there is a wealth of knowledge on the impact of ionising radiation on humans, its effects on wildlife have never been assessed.
In the past, Sweden-based International Commission on Radiological Protection (icrp), which recommends worldwide radiation safety limits, had set no rules for wildlife. It had assumed that the