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. 2014 Jun 25;9(6):e100296.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0100296. eCollection 2014.

Aspermy, sperm quality and radiation in Chernobyl birds

Anders Pape Møller  1 , Andrea Bonisoli-Alquati  2 , Timothy A Mousseau  2 , Geir Rudolfsen  3
Affiliations

Aspermy, sperm quality and radiation in Chernobyl birds

Anders Pape Møller et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Background: Following the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident, large amounts of radionuclides were emitted and spread in the environment. Animals living in such contaminated areas are predicted to suffer fitness costs including reductions in the quality and quantity of gametes.

Methodology/principal findings: We studied whether aspermy and sperm quality were affected by radioactive contamination by examining ejaculates from wild caught birds breeding in areas varying in background radiation level by more than three orders of magnitude around Chernobyl, Ukraine. The frequency of males with aspermy increased logarithmically with radiation level. While 18.4% of males from contaminated areas had no sperm that was only the case for 3.0% of males from uncontaminated control areas. Furthermore, there were negative relationships between sperm quality as reflected by reduced sperm velocity and motility, respectively, and radiation.

Conclusions/significance: Our results suggest that radioactive contamination around Chernobyl affects sperm production and quality. We are the first to report an interspecific difference in sperm quality in relation to radioactive contamination.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Map of background radiation (µSv/h) in the Chernobyl region and location of the study sites.
Adapted from European Union .
Figure 2
Figure 2. Box plots of background radiation level (µSv/h) for birds without and with sperm.
Values are medians, quartiles, 5- and 95-percentiles and extreme values.
Figure 3
Figure 3. Proportion of birds with sperm in relation to background radiation level (µSv/h).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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