Detection and dosimetry of irradiated biominerals with thermoluminescence, radiolyoluminescence and electron spin resonance measurements: Comparison of methods

摘要

For seafood and poultry, thermoluminescence (TL), radiolyoluminescence (LL) and electron spin resonance (ESR) measurement have been compared in their applicability for the detection of irradiation. For the biomineralized shells of six bivalvian and the molt of two crustacean species, and for poultry bones, as well as for natural calcium carbonate minerals and synthetic calcium carbonate and hydroxyapatite, samples irradiated with doses of 0, 2.5, 5 and 7.5 kGy were cleaned from soft tissue, dried, and ground and the luminescence and ESR signals of the powder were read out. X-ray diffraction measurements and trace transition metal determinations were done to correlate the luminescence and ESR properties to the crystal structure and impurity of the biominerals. TL read out to a maximum temperature of 400 degrees C proved only applicable for predominantly calcitic shells or crustacean molt, but not for high-purity CaCO3. LL read out during dissolution in an EDTA-luminol solution showed to be applicable for both irradiation detection and dosimetry of biominerals, minerals and synthetic reagents, while ESR measurement proved to be useful in all crystalline samples, but not in X-ray amorphous crustacean molt. The LL method is sensitive for both calcitic and aragonitic seafood species and therefore a useful complementation for ESR measurement. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. [References: 30]