A simple gamma dosimeter using a film label made of polyvinyl alcohol and bark of Peltophorum ferrugineum extract

Gamma radiation is considerably dangerous, but at certain doses, it can be beneficial to humans, for example, in food sterilization applications. Therefore, the development of simple and practical dosimeter devices is essential. Herein, we developed a simple dosimeter label made of Peltophorum ferrugineum bark extract separated from its fat content and mixed in a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) matrix (prepared using an ammonium peroxide crosslinker). The film obtained from this mixture had a yellowish-brown color that changed to dark brown after gamma irradiation. The film label structure was investigated via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and the absorbance properties of the film labels were measured using Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometer. The intensity of the color change was quantified using a colorimeter. The response of the film label to gamma radiation was measured via irradiation at 0-66 kGy. We found that gamma radiation caused a decrease in the intensity of the R and G color components of the film. Additionally, swelling tests demonstrated that the films exhibited good plastic properties after gamma irradiation. These results suggest that film labels made of PVA-extracted P. ferrugineum can be used as a simple dosimeter label for sterilization purposes.