Nd. Yordanov et V. Gancheva, A new approach for extension of the identification period of irradiated cellulose-containing foodstuffs by EPR spectroscopy, APPL RAD IS, 52(2), 2000, pp. 195-198
We report on the possibility of identification by EPR spectroscopy of some
irradiated cellulose-containing foodstuffs, at a relatively long time after
the irradiation, when the characteristic EPR spectral lines of the cellulo
se free radical have essentially disappeared. In such cases rather expensiv
e and time-consuming methods (e.g. thermoluminescence analysis) have to be
applied. The present communication demonstrates with some pre-irradiated sp
ices, dried medicinal and sweet herbs that simply heating the samples to 60
degrees C for one hour leads to a significant (50% or more) decrease of th
e EPR intensity of the remaining central line of the samples. For compariso
n, the loss in the intensity of the same line upon heating non-irradiated s
amples at 60 degrees C for one hour was only about 10%. This inexpensive ne
w procedure will extend the post-irradiation period in which EPR can be use
d for distinguishing irradiated from non-irradiated samples, of certain cel
lulose-containing foodstuffs. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights res
erved.