From the Birth of Atoms to Life: Iodine and Caesium as Evolutionary Protectors and Anthropogenic Disruptors in Pancreatic Cancer and Diabetes
Venturi Sebastiano
ABSTRACT
The Chernobyl nuclear accident, on 26 April 1986, marked a turning point in both the history of energy production and our understanding of the relationship between human technology and life. J. Robert. Oppenheimer evoked the famous Hindu scripture, “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds”, reflecting the profound realisation that nuclear fission represents a significant departure from the natural history of matter. Life evolved within a stable isotopic environment shaped by cosmic nucleosynthesis and long-term biological selection. Iodine was progressively integrated into biochemical pathways, including antioxidant and regulatory mechanisms. However, nuclear fission has introduced an anthropogenic production of radioactive isotopes that were absent from evolution. This evolutionary integration of iodine and potassium into living systems has provided robust mechanisms for antioxidant defense, redox regulation and metabolic stability. Artificial radionuclides, such as iodine-131, cesium-137and strontium-90 mimic these essential elements but differ in radiophysical properties, exploiting conserved transport pathways, creating cellular vulnerabilities and a radionuclide evolutionary mismatch. But the total correct amount of iodine (I) in the human body is still controversial and only thyroidal iodine content has been estimated of 5-15 mg. The World Health Organization hypothetized the total content to be only 15-20 mg, with 70–80% in the radiation-insensible thyroid gland and a more little part 20–30% in extrathyroidal tissues. Recently (2020), Venturi tried to calculate the amount of extrathyroidal and pancreatic iodine uptake -(at 20 hours from i.v. injection), using sequential scintigraphies, with the help of AI and reported different values about 30% in the thyroid and 70% in extrathyroidal tissues with about 0.3 mg in whole pancreas. The damage caused by artificial iodine-131 and cesium-137, from now on, it will be present for a long time in the future. These isotopes are chemically mimicking biological elements but differing in their radiophysical properties, and by exploiting conserved cellular transport, create a mismatch between biochemical recognition and radiological behavior. According to agreement of 1959, WHO cannot publish on nuclear radiation without consulting the IAEA and loses scientific independence in radiation protection, so many WHO-assessments are conservative towards industry. “Food Standard Safety Limits” report that cesium-137, which persists for over 300 years in the environment, after disaster of Chernobyl and Fukushima, are revised downward, to apply different “Precautionary Principle”. Japan lowered the limits from 500 to 100 Bq/kg, while Europe mantain 600 and USA-FDA 1200 Bq/kg. These radionuclides interfere with cellular signaling and causing genetic and metabolic disorders as pancreatic cancer and diabetes.
