32. Effects of Chronic Gamma Irradiation on Reproduction in the Earthworm Eisenia fetida

In recent years ecological impacts of ionizing radiation have emerged as an important research field. But there are still considerable knowledge-gaps regarding biological effects of chronic irradiation in wildlife, particularly for endpoints related to reproduction. Reproduction is considered to be one of the most sensitive radiation-associated endpoints, and determines not only the fate of the single organism, but may also influence population dynamics and the balance of higher ecological units. Based on their radioecological properties and their important role in the soil ecosystem, earthworms have been identified by ICRP as one of the reference animals and plants (RAPs) to be used in environmental radiation protection. This paper will present results of a series of studies carried out on the effects of ionising radiation on earthworms, covering long term-effects on reproduction, as well as studies on biological processes such as recovery, acclimatization and adaptive response, using a number of molecular biomarkers. The aim is to show how the studies can improve predictions of the way individuals and populations respond to chronic exposures of ionising radiation.