[The genetic consequences of the radioactive contamination of populations of Arabidopsis thaliana growing in a 30-kilometer area of the accident at the Chernobyl Atomic Electric Power Station].

Annually during six years since 1986 dynamics of the mutation load in Arabidopsis populations was studied. Frequency of the embryonic lethal mutations was studied with Muller embryonic test. First two years after the accident an increase of mutation load in Arabidopsis populations was observed at all levels of radioactive contamination. In the areas with contamination up to 10 mR/h the mutation load decreased to the control level by 1990. In the areas with contamination up to 130 mR/h the mutation load exceeds the control by 4-8 times.