Microsatellite mutations show no increases in the children of the Chernobyl liquidators

At the Y-linked loci, the mutation rates (expressed as number of mutations among the total number of loci for the individuals included) are 2.9 × 10−3 (4/1392) and 2.1 × 10−3 (3/1458) in the children of exposed and control parents, respectively. This difference is not statistically significant. At the autosomal loci, the corresponding estimates are 5.9 × 10−3 (11/1862; exposed group) and 8.5 × 10−3 (18/2108; control). Again, the difference is not significant. The possibility that the Belarusian population might have been unexpectedly exposed to some chemical contaminants in the environment appears unlikely in view of the finding that the spontaneous mutation rates at the same set of loci in several non-Belarusian populations were similar to those in Belarus. The estimated mean radiation dose to the liquidators was small, being about 39 mSv, and this might be one reason why no increases in mutation rates due to radiation could be found.