Mutagenesis and Background Neutron Radiation

In microelectronics, single failure events sporadically occur which, in some areas, like plane and space navigation, could have catastrophic consequences. Preliminary estimations [1] and more recent experiments [2] indicate a correlation between these events and the Background Neutron Radiation (BNR) [3]. The mechanism of failure is the collision of a neutron from the BNR with an atomic nucleus in the chip, leading to a shower of electrons and ions that locally changes the conductivity and shortcuts the device. In the present paper, we suggest the BNR as a cause of genetic “fails” in living cells, that is one of the possible origins of the so called spontaneous mutations. Cells exposed to the shower of electrons and ions, caused by the collision of a neutron and a proton of water, could be anihilated or experience a permanent damage, in particular, a damage in the DNA. The frequency of such events is similar to the rate of appearance of mutations with damage in the DNA repair mechanism [4], as measured in the Long Term Evolution Experiment (LTEE), where E. Coli populations evolve under controlled conditions [5].