The Food Dye Tartrazine as a Routine Dosimeter for High Dose Gamma Radiation
Prasetya Widodo(a),Marlina Harahap(b),Cuk Imawan(c*)
a) Center for Technology of Radiation Safety and Metrology–National Nuclear Energy Agency, South Jakarta, DKI Jakarta, 12440, Indonesia
b) Health Facilty Safety Center-Ministry of Health Republic of Indonesia, Central Jakarta, DKI Jakarta, 10570, Indonesia
c) Department of Physics, FMIPA Universitas Indonesia, Kampus UI Depok, Depok 16424, Indonesia
*cuk.imawan[at]sci.ui.ac.id
Abstract
A colorimetric method for dosimetry is widely used in irradiator facilities due to its simple measurement method and low cost. These type of dosimeters are made from dyes that are sensitive to radiation. Tartrazine is one of the dyes that are sensitive to gamma radiation and safe because it is a food coloring agent. In this study the results of experiments and characterization of dosimeters made from tartrazine liquid dyes were reported. Tartazine liquid used has a pH of 6. This liquid has been tested for gamma exposure in the dosage range of 5-100 kGy. Moreover, the stability of the color of this liquid has been investigated for storage conditions in light and dark for 21 days. The characterization of the liquid dosimeters was carried out using a UV-Vis spectrophotometer. The optical spectrum of the liquid tartrazine shows absorbance peaks at wavelengths of 430 nm. The value of the absorbance peak gradually decreases with increasing value of the gama irradiation absorbed. The dose response from the liquid dosimeters is quite linear for the gamma dose range of 5-30 kGy on the logarithmic scale. Besides that, the color of the liquid shows good stability in light and dark storage conditions. Based on these results it can be concluded that this liquid tartrazine is a good candidate as a routine dosimeter for irradiation applications that require a wide range of doses.
Keywords: liquid tartrazine; dosimetry; gamma radiation; colorimetric
Topic: Functional Materials