Glow curve analysis of gamma irradiated silicates extracted from tobacco of cigarettes

E. BORTOLIN; J. MARCAZZÓ; C. BONIGLIA; S. DELLA MONACA; R. GARGIULO; M.C. QUATTRINI; E.CRUZ-ZARAGOZA; C. FURETTA; P. FATTIBENE

Recife

Congreso; 17th International Conference on Solid State Dosimetry (SSD17); 2013

Silicates collected from personal objects such as keys, coins, watches, etc. can be used as individual dosimeter in case of a radiation accident or radiological attack where people can be exposed to ionizing radiation. In particular, cigarette tobacco seems to be one of the most suitable matrices for silicate collection. In fact, the amount of mineral contaminants extracted from very few cigarettes is sufficient to detect doses as low as 100 mGy by using the thermoluminescence technique [1]. Unfortunately, a non negligible part of the thermoluminescent signal is due to low temperature emissions and shows, even at room temperature, a fast fading which has to be taken into account in order to obtain a correct reconstruction of the absorbed dose [1]. Preliminary results have indicated that the TL signal loses about 50% of its intensity (the whole peak at about 100 °C) within the first 24 hours and then shows a substantial stability. In order to obtain an accurate dose evaluation by using a calibration curve, a preheat treatment could be applied to simulate the fading effects observed during the first 24 hours. As an alternative approach, the glow curve could be analysed and deconvoluted and the more stable peaks could be identified and tested for dosimetric purposes. This work focuses on the analysis and deconvolution of the glow curves registered at different time after irradiation with silicates extracted from tobacco of cigarettes and irradiated in laboratory at different doses in the range (0.5-5.0) Gy.