Development of PVA-Methyl Red Radiochromic Films for Gamma Dose Distribution Analysis and Application in Postharvest Tomato Ripening
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
This study aimed to develop polyvinyl alcohol-methyl red (PVA-MR) radiochromic films for gamma radiation dose distribution analysis and to investigate their application in postharvest tomato ripening. The films were prepared using a solution casting method with 4 wt% PVA and methyl red concentrations ranging from 0.01 to 0.06 wt%. The dosimetric response was evaluated over a dose range of 0 - 100 kGy using UV-Vis spectrophotometry and RGB image analysis. The results showed that the films exhibited dose-dependent color fading, with absorbance at 430 nm demonstrating a strong linear correlation with radiation dose (R² = 0.923 - 0.969). The film containing 0.03 wt% methyl red provided the best performance in terms of linearity, sensitivity, and signal stability. RGB analysis indicated that the blue channel was the most sensitive to dose variation. Application of the films within a gamma irradiation chamber revealed non-uniform dose distribution, with higher radiation levels observed in outer regions compared to inner layers due to attenuation effects. Correspondingly, irradiated tomatoes exhibited delayed ripening, as indicated by slower increases in a* values and reduced weight loss compared to non-irradiated controls.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
References
Akhtar (a), S., T. Hussain, A. Shahzad and Q. U. Islam. 2013. The feasibility of reactive dye in PVA films as high dosimeter. Journal of Basic & Applied Sciences (9): 420-423.
Akhtar (b), S., T. Hussain, A. Shahzad, Q. U. Islam, M. Y. Hussain and N. Akhtar. 2013. Radiation induced decoloration of reactive dye in PVA films for film dosimetry. Journal of Basic & Applied Sciences 9(1): 416-419.
Akhtar, S., A. Shahzad, S. Bashir, M. Y. Hussain and N. Akhtar. 2016. Improved performance of radiochromic films for high-dose dosimetry. Radioprotection 51(2): 129-133. Available: https://doi.org/10.1051/radiopro/2016001.
Bhat, N. V., M. M. Nate, R. M. Bhat and B. C. Bhatt. 2007. Effect of γ-irradiation on polyvinyl alcohol films doped with some dyes and their use in dosimetric studies. Indian Journal of Pure & Applied Physics 45(6): 545-548.
Choi, H. G. and K. S. Park. 2023. Ripening process of tomato fruits postharvest: Impact of environmental conditions on quality and chlorophyll a fluorescence characteristics. Horticulturae 9(7): 812. Available: https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9070812.
Das, I. J. 2017. Radiochromic film: Role and applications in radiation dosimetry. CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, Boca Raton, FL.
Mittal, A., G. Natanasabapathi, A. Verma and P. Kumar. 2021. Development and dosimetric characterization of novel amide substituted diacetylene based radiochromic films for medical radiation dosimetry. Radiation Physics and Chemistry 182: 109391. Available: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radphyschem.2021.109391.
Putri, M. A. E., R. Rahmawati, A. M. Roja’i, R. Fitriana, M. Y. Yunus, M. Suhartini, N. H. Anggarini, A. Rachmanto, G. T. Rekso, D. G. Syarif and D. H. Prajitno. 2024. Polyvinyl alcohol dyed with methyl red as a radiochromic film dosimeter for gamma radiation. Journal of Physics: Conference Series 2828: 012023. Available: https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/2828/1/012023.
Soliman, Y. S., A. A. Abdel-Fattah and S. G. Dutremez. 2021. 1,10-Bis(diphenylamino)-4,6-decadiyne as an active component of a radiochromic film dosimeter. Radiation Physics and Chemistry 189: 109714. Available: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radphyschem.2021.109714.
Yoon, K. N., Y. S. Yoon, H. J. Hong, J. H. Park, B. S. Song, J. B. Eun and J. K. Kim. 2023. Gamma irradiation delays tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) ripening by inducing transcriptional changes. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. Available: https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.12760.
Yoon, K. N., Y. S. Yoon, H. J. Hong, S. J. Yeom, J. H. Park, B. S. Song, J. B. Eun and J. K. Kim. 2024. Extending shelf life and analyzing dosimetric and detection techniques in postharvest tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) via X-ray irradiation. LWT-Food Science and Technology 201: 116230. Available: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2024.116230.
