Radiation induced EPR centers in foodstuffs and inorganic materials

EPR investigations of a variety of irradiated materials have provided the potential for useful dosimetry applications. Herbs and spices imported into Australia have been investigated to establish whether or not they have been irradiated. Post-irradiation studies have shown that there is more than one free radical species in most cases which decay rapidly with time. Changes to transition metal ion signals, e.g., Cu2+ or Fe3+, appear to be permanent against further irradiation. Thus if these signals change upon irradiation, the material almost certainly has not previously been irradiated. Power saturation studies of alanine, a favored dosimetry material, suggest two distinguishable types of behavior consistent with the presence of spin-flip transitions. Irradiation of vanadium doped beryl yields stable VO2+ ions which may provide a useful dosimetry material. Dosimetry applications would appear to demand low cost, user friendly, automated EPR spectrometers. A patented option based on a 2.5 GHz microstrip microwave bridge will be described briefly. (author)