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Our aim was to study the influence of low doses (0.2-4 μGy) of α radiation on the stability of human erythrocytes isolated from healthy and diabetic erythrocytes. Absorption spectroscopy was used to measure the level of red blood cell (RBC) hemolysis, along with Mössbauer spectroscopy, which is a highly specific method suited to monitoring various hemoglobin forms. States of hemoglobin are sensitive to a homeostatic imbalance in red blood cells. Changes in the membrane skeleton organization of irradiated erythrocytes isolated from healthy donors were studied using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Hemolysis, in healthy red blood cells, showed characteristic discontinuities, depending on the α particle flux and the exposure time to the low doses applied. This phenomenon was not observed in severe diabetic cases, which could be a result of modified protein-lipid-sugar complexes and the attenuation/absence of some antioxidative enzymatic processes in their RBC membranes. Similar effects were also observed for red blood cells treated with low doses of neutron and γ-radiation. AFM measurements demonstrated a reorganization of the RBC membrane skeleton network depending on the time of RBC exposure to α radiation. This suggests that the changes in the activity of the acute defense processes against free radicals which are activated within the erythrocyte membrane irradiated with α-particles could additionally be up- or down regulated by modifications to the membrane-skeleton network. However, even the highest dose of α radiation applied in these studies did not cause any significant changes in the ability of hemoglobin to transport oxygen. Microsc. Res. Tech. 80:131-143, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The paper presents the results of intercalibration measurements of 222Rn concentration in water samples. The aim of the experiments was to evaluate the different measurement methods of radon determination in water samples performed by eleven laboratories in Poland and to test these methods in field work. In the years 2001–2003 three national intercomparison experiments were organized. The results allowed the participating laboratories to improve their measurement methodologies and to achieve better, i.e. more convergent results of determining radon concentration in water samples. The results show that the use of liquid-scintillation technique seems to be the best measurement method. It should be emphasized that comparative experiments are essential for all laboratories and they should be carried out as often as possible, based both on prepared samples with known concentration values of 222Rn and natural water samples, the most commonly used in laboratory practice. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]