福島原発由来の人工的放射性核種が、その周辺地域に生息するヤマトシジミというチョウに生理的、遺伝的な損傷を引き起こしていることが報告されています。子孫に奇形が生じているということです。
今後、野生の哺乳動物の調査も他の研究者によって行われるでしょうが、生理的、遺伝的な異常が見つかる可能性も示唆しているように思えます。
The collapse of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant caused a massive release of radioactive materials to the environment. A prompt and reliable system for evaluating the biological impacts of this accident on animals has not been available. Here we show that the accident caused physiological and genetic damage to the pale grass blue Zizeeria maha, a common lycaenid butterfly in Japan. We collected the first-voltine adults in the Fukushima area in May 2011, some of which showed relatively mild abnormalities. The F1 offspring from the first-voltine females showed more severe abnormalities, which were inherited by the F2 generation. Adult butterflies collected in September 2011 showed more severe abnormalities than those collected in May. Similar abnormalities were experimentally reproduced in individuals from a non-contaminated area by external and internal low-dose exposures. We conclude that artificial radionuclides from the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant caused physiological and genetic damage to this species.
http://www.nature.com/srep/2012/120809/srep00570/full/srep00570.html
