Ultra-low background radiation and reproduction/development: biological homeostasis, developmental sensitivity, and emerging radiobiological questions
Year: 2026
Type: review
Abstract: Natural background radiation has accompanied life since its origin and represents a persistent environmental factor derived from cosmic rays, terrestrial radionuclides, radon, food, and water. While conventional radiobiology has focused primarily on the harmful effects of radiation exposure above background levels, far less attention has been paid to the biological consequences of reducing radiation below naturally occurring terrestrial levels. Recent experiments conducted in deep underground laboratories have enabled investigation of ultra-low background radiation (ULBR), providing a unique opportunity to determine whether natural background radiation is merely an unavoidable environmental exposure or contributes actively to biological homeostasis. Accumulating evidence indicates that ULBR can influence cellular proliferation, reproductive fitness, embryonic development, and adaptive stress responses, although the direction and magnitude of these effects appear strongly dependent on species, developmental stage, exposure duration, and physiological context. Current mechanistic evidence suggests that perturbation of oxidative homeostasis, altered DNA damage response, and mitochondrial metabolic adaptation are the most plausible pathways linking reduced background radiation to biological change. From the perspective of reproductive biology, ULBR is of particular interest because germ cells and early embryos are highly sensitive to subtle disturbances in redox signaling, proliferative control, and genome stability. Available data suggest that the biological consequences of background radiation deprivation may be manifested less through overt toxicity than through subtle shifts in fertility, developmental tempo, and metabolic allocation; the possibility of long-term developmental programming remains an attractive but currently untested hypothesis. This review summarizes current knowledge regarding the biological effects of ULBR, with particular emphasis on reproductive and developmental systems, discusses major mechanistic hypotheses, and highlights critical unresolved questions for future reproductive radiobiology.
Source: Frontiers in Public Health
Authors: Shiqi Bian, Yiyao Wu, Xuehong Wan, Hongqian Liu
Language: English
Subfield: Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,801
OpenAlex ID: W7223172543