Chromosome aberrations in inhabitants of Byelorussia: consequence of the Chernobyl accident.

A cytogenetic analysis was performed on peripheral blood lymphocytes from 35 persons belonging to the 'general population' of Gomel or its surroundings (Byelorussia). This region was heavily contaminated by the nuclear fall-out following the radiation accident at Chernobyl. An elevated frequency of chromosome aberrations was found in most of the subjects. The type and frequency of the aberrations revealed past and possibly present radiation exposure which could be ascribed to the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear plant about 5 years prior to the analysis.