In this paper we present results from an experiment aimed at investigating whether living cells are influenced by background ionizing radiation. Parallel human cell cultures were set-up in two separate laboratories and maintained for several months under identical conditions but for a 80× different level of background ionizing radiation. Periodically, the cell cultures were monitored for the onset of divergences in biochemical behavior, using two distinct cellular biology assays, namely micronuclei induction and activity of enzymes implicated in the management of oxidative stress. To reveal any subtle modifications, responses were also amplified by subjecting cell cultures to acute stress induced by exposure to moderately high doses of ionizing radiation. Compared to reference radiation background conditions, cultures maintained in a reduced background radiation environment handled the consequences of acute stress with diminished efficacy. © Società Italiana di Fisica.

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