Irradiation free radicals in freshwater crayfish Astacus leptodactylus Esch investigated by EPR spectroscopy

The free radicals of irradiated crayfish Astaculs leptodactylus cuticle were studied by X-band electron paramagnetic resonance. The kinetic behaviour as well as the thermal stability of the radiation-induced free radicals in crayfish cuticle were investigated by means of both isothermal and isochronal annealing. Both short, presumable juvenile and long, mature exemplars of freshwater crayfish were investigated. Only the long exemplars cuticle displayed the presence of Mn2+ ions, very similar to those reported for Mn2+ ions in calcite. The 200 °C isothermal annealing studies attested the existence of a multitude of radical species, some of them being generated during the first minutes of thermal treatment and then partially of totally vanishing. Regardless these peculiarities, the EPR spectrum of 15 kGy irradiated cuticle showed remarkable time stability, its amplitude decreasing with about 18% after more than 16 months of storage at room temperature. The implications of these observations regarding the diversity of irradiation free radicals as well as their suitability to identify gamma radiation decontamination treatment are discussed.