[Fungal infection of human organs by resistant melanin-synthesizing species is one of the pathogenic factors and one of the real consequences of the accident at Chernobyl power plant].

Free radical melanin centers have been detected in the cell concentrate of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) of liquidator of Chernobyl NPP accident. To identify the nature of these centers the EPR technique and the fluorescent technique were used to study BAL of liquidators with lung chronic pathology, their blood, blood components as well as model melanin- and lipofuscin-containing systems: synthetic DOPA-melanin, human melanosome, human lipofuscin, human melanolipofuscin. I Besides that we have investigated the samples of fungi, extracted from lung phlegm of liquidators (Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus, Penicillium Sp., Candida albicans) as well as the melanin, extracted from fungal conidium. It has been shown that the melanin centers found in BAL cells of liquidators is the melanin of melanin-synthesizing mutant fungi Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus flavus. The prolonged gamma-irradiation at low dose rate and the effects of inhaled radioactive particles cause the adaptive mutation of micromycetes producing the chemo- and radioresistant population. We think that the radioactive dust and pathogenic mutant micromycetes were inhaled in lungs of liquidators during their work at the Chernobyl NPP. Thus, one of valid consequences of Chernobyl accident may be the wide fungous of human organs, in particularly, by Aspergillus mutant. The radiation-induced weakening of immune reactions of liquidators promotes the resistance of this fungus mutant infection.