Abstract
Relevance. In the Republic of Kazakhstan, the issue of assessing the health status of population exposed to radiation is becoming increasingly urgent. Particular attention is paid to studies on radiation impact on genome stability in individuals residing near radiation-contaminated areas. Aim. To perform an ecological and genetic assessment of the consequences of exposure from a radioactive waste disposal site. The study included residents of settlements located near the site (industrial zone of Aktau, v. Baskudyk, v. Akshukyr, v. Mangystau-1, and v. Mangystau-5), as well as a control group consisting of residents of the Almaty region, who had no known contact with radioactive contamination. Aim. To monitor the radiation exposure effects on genome stability and the health of residents. Methods. A combination of radiological, cyto- and molecular genetic methods, population-statistical and correlation analyses. Blood samples from residents of radiation-contaminated areas were analyzed using cytogenetic techniques, including the micronucleus assay and chromosomal aberration analysis. Polymerase chain reaction was used to identify polymorphisms in genes involved in DNA repair pathways. Results and conclusions. To estimate the received radiation dose, the authors have constructed a graph illustrating the signal intensity of electron paramagnetic resonance in tooth enamel. The results demonstrated dose-dependent changes in electron paramagnetic resonance signal amplitude in samples obtained from two radiation-affected regions. Cytogenetic analysis revealed a statistically significant increase in the frequency of chromosomal aberrations compared to the spontaneous baseline levels. In the contaminated areas, the frequency of chromosomal abnormalities ranged from 1.0 to 3.5%, while in the control group it ranged from 1.0 to 1.9%. Molecular genetic analysis confirmed the presence of genotypes associated with impaired DNA repair mechanisms. These findings underscore the importance of genetic and environmental monitoring in the assessment of health risks for populations exposed to chronic low-dose radiation. For citation: Bigaliev A., Cherednichenko O., Shalabayeva K., Kozhakhmetova A., Myrzatay A. Cytogenetic and molecular genetic screening of radiation contamination impact on the human genome and public health. Bulletin of the Tomsk Polytechnic University. Geo Assets Engineering, 2026, vol. 337, no. 5, pp. 176-186. https://doi.org/10.18799/24131830/2026/5/5193