| Abstract [eng] |
Accidental exposure to ionizing radiation, in particular γ-rays, can result from various sources: equipment malfunction, leakage from radiation sources or even hostile action, involving radioactive materials. While occupational exposure is well-regulated, the detection and assessment of unintentional exposure remains a challenge due to the limitations of existing monitoring technologies, which are often costly, complex or lack sensitivity. In this work poly(vinyl alcohol)-iodide (PVA-I) gel colored indicators, sensitive within the 0.2 – 10 Gy range, are proposed as a simple, cost-effective, and portable solution to address the need of immediate monitoring devices that could be distributed to the broad public in the case of nuclear accidents or radiological pollution, which otherwise may cause irreversible harm to any living organism. Two types of film and three types of solution indicators were fabricated. The sensitivity of F2 (0.45 w% KIO3) films, according to the ~340 nm absorbance maximum of triiodide ions, was only 0.0429 Gy-1. According to the ~490 nm absorbance maximum of PVA-triiodide complex, S2 (2 w% KI) indicator samples had a sensitivity of 0.0058 Gy-1 and S3 (5 w% KI) indicator samples had a sensitivity of 0.0135 Gy-1, which was comparable to a similar composition indicator sensitivity (0.010 Gy-1), described in literature. However, additional experiments must be done to ensure a better sensitivity to radiation and more resistance to ambient conditions, such as light, air and temperature. |
